What is Aluminum: Definition and 297 Discussions

Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It has a great affinity towards oxygen, and forms a protective layer of oxide on the surface when exposed to air. Aluminium visually resembles silver, both in its color and in its great ability to reflect light. It is soft, non-magnetic and ductile. It has one stable isotope, 27Al; this isotope is very common, making aluminium the twelfth most common element in the Universe. The radioactivity of 26Al is used in radiodating.
Chemically, aluminium is a weak metal in the boron group; as it is common for the group, aluminium forms compounds primarily in the +3 oxidation state. The aluminium cation Al3+ is small and highly charged; as such, it is polarizing, and bonds aluminium forms tend towards covalency. The strong affinity towards oxygen leads to aluminium's common association with oxygen in nature in the form of oxides; for this reason, aluminium is found on Earth primarily in rocks in the crust, where it is the third most abundant element after oxygen and silicon, rather than in the mantle, and virtually never as the free metal.
The discovery of aluminium was announced in 1825 by Danish physicist Hans Christian Ørsted. The first industrial production of aluminium was initiated by French chemist Henri Étienne Sainte-Claire Deville in 1856. Aluminium became much more available to the public with the Hall–Héroult process developed independently by French engineer Paul Héroult and American engineer Charles Martin Hall in 1886, and the mass production of aluminium led to its extensive use in industry and everyday life. In World Wars I and II, aluminium was a crucial strategic resource for aviation. In 1954, aluminium became the most produced non-ferrous metal, surpassing copper. In the 21st century, most aluminium was consumed in transportation, engineering, construction, and packaging in the United States, Western Europe, and Japan.
Despite its prevalence in the environment, no living organism is known to use aluminium salts metabolically, but aluminium is well tolerated by plants and animals. Because of the abundance of these salts, the potential for a biological role for them is of continuing interest, and studies continue.

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  1. peabody1998

    Newbie needs help with angle iron load calculation

    I am trying to decide on the material and dimensions for the rail. The rails are supported on either side of a 10ft span. -- What dimension steel angle can carry a 200lb load across a 10ft span? a=? b=? c=? -- What dimension aluminum angle can carry a 200lb load across a 10ft span? a=? b=? c=?
  2. T

    Shielding against the Sun with a large sheet of aluminum foil in Earth orbit?

    Could people make a large sheet of aluminum foil and send it to the Earth's orbit to cover let's say half of the Sun and thus ease down these hot climate-change-induced summers? How feasible would something like this be? I know there was some talk years ago that a ring could be made around the...
  3. D

    Rate of cooling of aluminum parts after a glycol heat process

    I work for an aerospace supplier across different departments. I was recently shown how the production workers straighten aluminum parts after a glycol heat solutionizing process. The aluminum parts undergo a heat treatment for a few hours and are quenched in glycol. I can't get too in-depth...
  4. emilmammadzada

    How can I calculate the stopping power for aluminum in Fluka?

    How can I calculate the stopping power for aluminum in Fluka? I want to send 100 kevlik proton, I add deltaray card to target aliminuma.input file and this card is processing 10 MeV for some reason. TITLE * Set the defaults for precision simulations DEFAULTS...
  5. LauriRauhala

    Understanding Aluminum Alloy Aging at High Stress and Elevated Temperatures

    Hello, I am designing a centrifugal heat pump, which compresses air. I'm considering making the impeller from aluminum, probably from 7075, since the stresses rise to about 385 MPa when rotating at high speeds. The input temperature of the air is 85 degrees Celcius and output 125 degrees...
  6. andymag

    A Formula for force between two sheets of aluminum foil under voltage

    Hi guys, I am struggling to find the answer on Google and at forums. I am experimenting with two sheets of aluminum foil that are separated by a thin plastic foil. In theorie they should be attracted to each other if I connect one foil to power and other to ground of a DC voltage source. I am...
  7. M

    Electrolysis of Na2SO4 on Submerged Aluminum

    Will Na2SO4 (Sodium sulfate), when used as an Electrolyte in Water, EAT away at submerged Aluminum components, when performing Electrolysis ?
  8. gggnano

    Can I make a rocket by mixing aluminum + iodine (+ water catalyst)?

    Basically it's a well known reaction, many kids on youtube make it for the views: I am thinking, since AlI3 sublimes can it be put in say tungsten bottle (is this even a thing??) and then used as a rocket the same way Na+H2O or HCL+Al rockets are used - the gas escapes? This phase...
  9. FirewallDaProto

    Quick question about Aluminum Nitride's conductivity

    Whats its thermal conductivity compared to copper? (as in x times worse than copper) also, How electrically insulate is it? I'm looking to see if i can use it to encase an entire motherboard in a giant heat sink for a future project where i want to try and cool the entire motherboard to subzero...
  10. Ogon Bat

    Help solving a UHV problem (anodized aluminum)

    I recently realized a quite long (4.5 m) tube for ultra high vacuum in alluminium. Unfortunately in the realization a terrible error has been made... The internal surface has been anodized! I know that such treatment horribly enhance the outgassing rate... I read over the net that in principle...
  11. BenDover

    Aluminum mystery -- Questions about elecrolysis in water

    Hello, human people's. I noticed a strange phenomenon while playing electrochemistry. - i used 2 strips of aluminum foil as electrodes in sodium sulfate solution, 1 for positive terminal and other for negative. Applied 5 volts, essentially zero current flew. - i used 1 strip aluminum for...
  12. mcas

    Evaluate reflectance of an aluminum mirror

    Note: for some reason frequency on this lecture is indicated by \omega. I wanted to calculate the reflectance using one of these equations that were given to us during the lecture: R=1 where \omega < \omega_p...
  13. 1

    Is it safe to cover a floor lamp with an Aluminum metal pie plate?

    Please see the image below. I'm trying to convert my IKEA NYFORS floor lamp into a reading light, by covering the top with an Aluminium pie plate. Will this be a fire or electrical hazard? Does anyone foresee any dangers or risks? As I have 3 of these floor lamps in my attic, I don't want to...
  14. plainairpainter

    Construction Aluminum Cantilever for Truck Camper

    (Continuing from the summary...) I want to build this safely, so I am putting this out here for expert advice. My choice for the shape for the aluminum cantilever is angle, T, square tubing or round. The foam is 2” thick, so I’d like to keep the supports at 2” in width and height. I need to...
  15. SabeneGeorges

    1" Aluminum Angle 1/16th thick - How much shelf weight?

    I am building a plant rack. Because of size restrictions, I must use angle iron and I want to use aluminum angle because of weight. I am looking at aluminum angle (L shaped) for the shelf brackets. The aluminum angle is 1" and 1/16th thickness, 24" long and screwed into wood. Each angle will...
  16. F

    Chemistry What ion is Aluminum likely to form?

    A self test question from Chemical Principles(Atkins/Jones). Other than rote memorization I don’t see how to do this. The review section references the Periodic Table and, for elements on the right side of the table, one can use 18 minus the group number which would give Al(superscript 5+) since...
  17. R

    Trivalent conversion coating on aluminum

    Hi! Is anyone familiar with trivalent conversion coating on aluminum? I'm struggling with unrepeatable and too high values of contact electrical resistance of coating. I would really appreciate any advice how to deal with that coating. Thanks a lot!
  18. C

    Solubility of weak acid salts of aluminum and silver

    I'm curious what weak acids will form soluble salts with aluminum, but not silver. From a solubility chart (https://www.flinnsci.com/globalassets/flinn-scientific/all-product-images-rgb-jpegs/ap6901etc.jpg?v=cc7f986a028e4adf833ea6341200add2), HCl, HBr, and HI will form soluble aluminum salts...
  19. Mason_Jays

    How to design a CPU Cooler attached on an Aluminum Panel?

    Im now drawing sheet metal blueprints, which has a feature like attachable of Commonly use of CPU Cooler. The product that i want to attach is Cooler master Hyper T4. is there any information about standard dimension for regular cpu cooler installation ?
  20. new90

    Heating an aluminum strut in a truss (Feyman Lectures of Physics 2.10)

    A)W goes downward because before AB gets heat up the system was in equilibrium hen after getting heat up the Force that AB produce makes the roller moves to the right and that makes the whole system go down B)I don't know what it means I know that this can mean the forces that the member Ab is...
  21. Thijske

    Kinetic friction coefficient of aluminum on lubricated cast iron

    Hey all, I was recently searching for kinetic friction coefficients, and I noticed that for a reason which is unknown to me, some materials had not been appointed such coefficient. The specific kinetic friction coefficient that I'm looking for is aluminum on greasy/lubricated cast iron. Any type...
  22. R

    Eddy currents in an Aluminum substrate PCB

    Well, then: my first real topic here on PF :angel: We will soon do a half-bridge PWM thing, if everything goes smoothly. Bit of a scary thing, actually. So far it's about gathering reference material and examples. Even the simulations are just in planning phase. But: as it seems the...
  23. B

    Is Transparent Aluminum the Next Big Breakthrough in Glass Technology?

    This link makes me fondly remember the goofy Star Trek to save the Blue Whales and how Scotty invented something he invented in the future with the help of Spock. Transparent Aluminum https://phys.org/news/2019-11-aluminum-lasers-bendable-glass.html
  24. M

    Is Stainless Steel or Aluminum with a Stainess Steel finish more durable?

    I would like to know if Stainless steel 304 or aluminum with a stainless steel finish would be more corrosion resistant when outdoor 24/7/365 exposed to the sun, rain, snow, etc. but not salt. Not a coastal climate. Both materials are resistant to corrosion and are sold as fixtures, etc. but I...
  25. K

    Efficiency of heating up aluminum vs steel by induction

    Summary: In a heating by induction experiment performed, the idea was to determine the efficiency of heating up a small steel cylinder, an aluminum cylinder and then compare the two efficiencies. The cylinder was surrounded by a metall coil that alternating current was going through...
  26. hjannett

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    Hello, I'm looking for structural materials that will act as the frame (skeleton) for the housing surrounding a waste container. The frame will structurally support HDPE panels as walls. This will be above ground for use in Uganda (but we can ship materials), under a raised squat toilet hole...
  27. R

    6061 Aluminum Angle Deflection

    Hello Everyone, I'm a retired systems engineer from the aerospace industry, while working part of my job was to come up with concepts and then have great mechanical engineers implement them. Now that I'm retired I have to do both parts for myself. I'm designing a storage hoist to get heavy...
  28. E

    This is what happens to an aluminum block when it hits...

    This is what happen to an aluminum block when a 0.5 ounce piece of plastic hits it at a speed 15,000mph in space. That's some serious impact! Just imagine what a heavier object could do traveling at the same speed.
  29. C

    Aluminum and copper -- Galvanic corrosion

    If a copper water pipe is connected to a piece of aluminum through a copper wire, where will the galvanic corrosion take place? On the wire to aluminum joint eating away at the aluminum, or will the whole water pipe suffer? (does copper corrode aluminum, or vice versa, or each other?) thanks
  30. nsaspook

    NASA NASA aluminum fraud scheme probe

    https://www.engadget.com/2019/05/01/nasa-aluminum-fraud-scheme-probe/ Only fined for $46 Million?
  31. M

    Chemistry: dissolving aluminum metal in hydrochloric acid

    Homework Statement Aluminum metal dissolves in hydrochloric acid. What volume, in mL, of 1.58 M HCl is needed to completely dissolve 3.200 g of aluminum?(Hint: write the single-replacement reaction first) Homework Equations V[1]M[1]=V[2]M[2] The Attempt at a Solution I got the...
  32. DracoMalfoy

    Rate of Energy Transferred, Aluminum Pot

    Homework Statement The bottom of a circular, aluminum pot has a radius of 8cm and a thickness of 1cm. The temperature of the stove top is 120 degrees celsius and the temperature of the pot initially is 20 degrees celsius. What is the rate at which energy is transferred through the bottom of the...
  33. sysprog

    (split) Remove an Aluminum Tube

    Original thread: https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/remove-an-aluminum-tube.952459/ NaHCO3, i.e. sodium hydrogen carbonate, compared to neutrality, is a weakly alkalinic salt, which, although it can, in the presence of a stronger base, such as sodium hydroxide, act as an acid, by surrendering...
  34. T

    Remove an Aluminum Tube

    Any ideas on how I would remove an Aluminum drop tube from a gasoline or diesel tank? The tube goes thru a 4" steel pipe that extends 3' to 4' above the tank. The problem is that after years of being in the tank the aluminum has seized to the steel pipe. I am thinking about trying to melt the...
  35. Justin Bishop

    Misc. Safe Pull-up Bar Span for 124" - Advice?

    Hello smart physicists! I'm hoping to run a span of 124" for a pull up bar, with a support in the middle at the 62" point (so 3 supports total). I'm using the Rogue P-5V Pull-Up Bar Brackets (https://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-p-5v-garage-pullup-system). The brackets call for a tube with a...
  36. KtinaN904

    What is the best way to digest Aluminum from Calcium oxide

    Homework Statement I am attempting to find Alppm from a calcium oxide sample by spectrophotometry. Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a Solution I’ve used conc. HCl and heated to dryness, then added 50/50 HCl and reheated. I then filtered the solution and corrected the pH. I’ve followed the...
  37. D

    I An aluminum cylinder with a steel wire attached

    Hi! So when this system gets heated, how does the wire expand if it is bent like that? Would it expand horizontally or vertically? Also, when calculating the stress for the wire, I know that I use the thermal expansion equation for dL of steel, but other people said that you have to also...
  38. E

    Spherical magnet dropped through aluminum pole rotates?

    Lenz's law shows that dropping a magnet through an aluminum pole will cause an induced current that slows down its fall drastically. I found a website that talks about this a little: https://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/TTT-slowfall/slowfall.htm It has the following question: I don't see any...
  39. J

    Misc. Custom building a CNC mill for aluminum

    So as a quick background I've made a 3-d printer (I know a monkey could assemble one of those DIY prusas) and want to step up my game a little bit. I came to the realization that some people have made/sold DIY milling kits, but most of them are for plastics or wood. I would like to make a...
  40. E

    Tension test specifications

    Hi, I'm performing tension tests using a dog-bone specimen conforming to ASTM E8 on 6061-T6 extruded aluminum alloy. ASTM E8 says the surface preparation should be as the product specified. The material I ordered is low grade bar stock 2" wide by 0.25" thick. If I am going to reduce the...
  41. X

    Crush weight for aluminum ladder rails

    I am wanting to use some Werner Aluminum ladders as a surface to skid a refrigerator-sized object that weighs around 1500 lbs. across a lawn. The plan is to lay some 3/4 ply down on the ground creating a surface, then lay two ladder sections side by side & equal distance apart as "tracks" where...
  42. David23454

    Find capacitance and charge of two aluminum electrodes

    Homework Statement Two 3.0-cm-diameter aluminum electrodes are spaced 0.50 mm apart. The electrodes are connected to a 200 V battery. Find the capacitance of one of the spheres. Homework Equations [/B] C=QV C=ε0A/d The Attempt at a Solution [/B] I'm really not sure how to approach this...
  43. Neel_2910

    Aluminum Etching for visualizing welding without HF Acid

    Does anyone know of an etching solution suitable for aluminium and its alloys that does not contain hydrofluoric acid?
  44. L

    I How does Aluminum conduct electricity despite its non-conductive oxide layer?

    Aluminum metal covers itself immediately of an oxide layer in air. This layer is quite thick, more than 0,01mm they say and it's non-conductive. This layer infact is, e.g., thick enough to prevent soldering, further chemical attack by air oxygen or water (with which nude Al would immediately...
  45. H

    Question with aluminum calorimeter

    Homework Statement There is 100g of water inside of a 50g aluminum calorimeter. After a reaction takes place the temperature of the calorimeter goes from 20 degrees celsius to 25 degrees celsius Find the energy released by this exothermic reaction specific heat capacity of water is 4.18 and...
  46. hdp12

    Designing a Mechanism to Cut Aluminum Bar: Help Needed!

    Hi there So we have a group design project in my mechanical systems 2 class and it basically goes as follows: design a mechanism to cut a half inch aluminum bar in half using a standard hacksaw blade and 4 AA batteries. You have to use a motor w/ input > 5000 rpm for the 'main' component we...
  47. J

    B Force required to bend/dent aluminum

    For my physics class we have to show an example of bad physics in a movie. I am doing Mad Max 2: The road Warrior and the scene where the gyro captain crashes his ultralight helicopter but the helicopter is completely undamaged as he drives it later in the movie. I need to know what the force to...
  48. Sanborn Chase

    Medical Why do Squirrels Love Aluminum?

    Does anyone know why squirrels gnaw on aluminum?
  49. Gary Weller

    Is there permanent size loss in metals from contraction?

    I install automatic pool covers for a living. The tracks that our cover rides on are composed of extruded anodized aluminum. These tracks come in 22' lengths. Usually there is more than one section of track, set end to end, on a given side of the pool. We drill and anchor these sections to...
  50. J

    Straightening 2024-T42 Aluminum

    Why is it necessary to complete straightening operations prior to completion of natural aging of 2024-T42 material? I believe the controlling specification says to place parts into a freezer to slow down the aging process if you cannot straighten right away. Does this mean that if natural aging...
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