Aluminium is the most heavily consumed non-ferrous metal in the world & it is the most abundant metal in the earth crust. In 2015, Aluminium Production was 57,890 thousand metric tonnes. Total Alumina Production of 115,247 thousand metric tonnes out of which 108,732 thousand metric tonnes was used for Aluminium Metal production.
|
Property |
Unit | Value |
Note |
| Atomic Number | 13 | ||
| Density | Kg/m-3 | 2698 | |
| Melting Point | oC | 660.45 | <1013 x 10-3 bar |
| Boiling Point | oC | 2056 | <1013 x 10-3 bar |
| Vapour pressure | Pa | 3.7 x 10-3 | At 927 oC |
| Mass Internal Energy | J·kg-1 | 3.98 x 105 | |
| Mass thermal Energy | J·kg-1· K-1 | 897 | at 25 oC |
| Thermal Conductivity | W·m-1·K-1 | 237 | at 27 oC |
| Linear expansion coefficient | 10-6K-1 | 23.1 | at 25 oC |
| Electrical resistivity | 10-9 Ω·m | 26.548 | at 25 oC |
| Magnetic susceptibility | 0.6 x 10-3 | at 25 oC | |
| Longitudinal elasticity modulus | MPa | 69000 | |
| Poisson’s ratio | n | 0.33 |
Properties of Aluminium
Properties of Aluminium
- Aluminum is light; its density is only one-third that of steel.
- Aluminum and aluminum alloys are available in a wide range of strength values-from highly ductile low-strength commercially pure aluminum to very tough high-strength alloys with ultimate tensile strengths approaching 690 MPa (100 ksi).
- Aluminum alloys have a high strength-to-weight ratio.
- Aluminum retains its strength at low temperatures and is often used for cryogenic applications.
- Aluminum has high resistance to corrosion under the majority of service conditions, and no colored salts are formed to stain adjacent surfaces or discolour products with which it comes into contact.
- Aluminum is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity .
- Aluminum is highly reflective.
- Aluminum is nonferromagnetic, a property of importance in the electrical and electronics industries.
- Aluminum is nonpyrophoric, which is important in applications involving inflammable or explosive materials handling or exposure.
- Aluminum is nontoxic and is routinely used in containers for food and beverages.
In 1761, De Morveau proposed the name “Alumine” for the base in Alum. In 1807, Davy proposed the name Aluminium for the metal, undiscovered at that time and later agreed to change it to Aluminum. IUPAC accepted & adopted the name Aluminium as it confirm with the “ium” ending of most elements. Aluminium was accepted in American dictionary until 1925, American Chemical Society decided to revert back to Aluminum and till today the same spelling is used.
For many years, aluminium was costly to produce, so the metal that is deemed so commonplace today was considered the preserve of the rich and privileged. At the court of Emperor Napoleon III of France, during the 1860s, visiting heads of state would be served delicacies on aluminium plates to denote their superiority, while mere dukes had to settle for plates of gold.
Aluminum Production consist of three independent stages and mostly they are carried out at different plants.
- The actual mining of the raw material (bauxite and other variety of ores)
- The processing of the ore and preparation of the Aluminium Oxide (Alumina)
- Production of Primary Aluminium from Alumina
