What Are the Major Uses of Aluminum?

To introduce the major uses of aluminum, this article introduces the conception and properties of aluminum first, and afterward the applications to help you have a better idea about this metal.

What is aluminum?

When talking about aluminum, it seems that everyone can talk about some…but only some. If you are requested to introduce more properties, applications, or history of it, you may tell one or two points and then utter “uh” or “hum” …

No need to feel shame, it’s normal as this kind of common metal indeed works in many aspects beyond our cognition. Now it’s the time to follow us to explore the major uses of aluminum.

First of all, we need to learn the basic conception and properties of aluminum to help better understand its uses later.

Aluminum is a metallic element with the symbol of element AI and the atomic number 13. It’s the third largest element in the earth's crust, only less than oxygen and silicon, earning the title of the most abundant metal element in the crust.

The simple substance aluminum is a silver-white lightweight metal with great malleability, commonly applied in various forms including rods, sheets, powders, strips, and wires. It also exhibits excellent conductivity.

As an active metal, when exposed to dry air, aluminum rapidly forms a dense oxide layer of approximately 50 angstroms (1 angstrom = 0.1 nanometers), preventing further oxidation and ensuring resistance to water.

What is the aluminum used for?

Now you should have basic knowledge about this metal, we can proceed to explore more about aluminum: about its uses. Apart from the properties we mentioned in the last section, it also boasts abundant reserves in the earth’s crust. With so many advantages, what are the major uses of aluminum?

We will introduce its most common uses one by one according to its different properties.

1. Electrical cable

Aluminum boasts great malleability and conducts electricity, only after silver and copper. Considering the higher cost of copper, aluminum gradually becomes the more popular choice to make cable.

2. Architecture field

Aluminum is popularly employed in architecture and decoration due to its artistic function, low cost to maintain, and excellent ability to combine with other materials. From doors to windows, from curtain walls to skirting lines for decoration, from ladders to handrails…you can see it everywhere in daily life.

3. Industrial manufacturing field

Aluminum wins its fame for the properties such as easy to process, good mechanical capability, anti-corrosion, and easy to maintain, which decides its wide usage in industrial manufacture.

From the supporting framework for assembly lines and working platforms to safety devices for robots, protective covers for machines, safety fencing, industrial platforms, ladders, and wheelbarrows…you can find more applications of aluminum as long as you observe carefully.

4. Radiator

The great heat-conducting capability enables aluminum to be a popular option as the material for radiators, such as radiators to cool CPU and GPU as well as other communication equipment. With the development of 5G technology, aluminum radiators will be widely applied in this field as 5G communication devices also need a large deal of radiators.

Besides, LED luminaire needs aluminum radiators for heat sinking.

5. Precision tubes of electrical goods and vehicles

Pure aluminum is rarely used in many fields while the alloy of aluminum mixed with other metals is more used according to the specific needs. The heat conducting capability of aluminum makes it popularly employed in precision tubes of automobiles, air conditioners, solar energy products as well as liquid and gas transportation.

6. Rolled aluminum products

“Tinfoil” is one of the few explicit usages of aluminum in the daily life, which is produced through the processing technology of rolling. It’s impermeable to water and oxygen, suitable for cooking and helpful to keep food fresh.

Only when you have an in-depth exploration of one thing, will you truly understand it and find fresh knowledge to it, right? It’s the same as aluminum. After learning about its application, we now know that aluminum exerts a significant influence on human life.

Conclusion: 

After the in-depth analysis, we know the uses of aluminum and it can be found everywhere in our lives, like vehicles, boats and space shuttles, medical instruments, oil equipment, explosives, food production, and so on. There’s no doubt that ongoing research is expected to expand its utility and promote its multifaceted development across various fields.