Chemistry - Aluminum

Introduction

• The metal with color silvery-white, soft, nonmagnetic, and ductile metal property, is known as aluminum.

• The symbol of aluminum is ‘Al’ and its atomic number is ‘13.’

• The Chemical element aluminum belongs to the boron group.

• Bauxite is the chief ore of the aluminum.

Salient Features of Aluminum

• Aluminum metal is a chemically reactive element.

• Aluminum has the potential to resist corrosion and the process of this resistivity is known as passivation.

• Aluminum is a comparatively durable, lightweight, soft, malleable, and ductile, metal.

• Aluminum is nonmagnetic and does not get ignite easily.

• An aluminum film is a very good reflector of visible light, as it reflects more than 90 percent of incoming rays.

• Aluminum commonly reacts with water and forms hydrogen.

• Aluminum is the metal of low density and it has the property to resist corrosion.

• Aluminum has the property of heat and electricity conductivity and hence, it is a good conductor.

Occurrence of Aluminum

• Aluminum makes up (about) 8 percent of the Earth's crust.

• After oxygen and silicon, aluminum is the third most abundant element; however, it is the most abundant metal in the crust.

• When hydrogen fuses with magnesium, it creates stable aluminum.

• Aluminum naturally found in oxides or silicates states.

Compounds of Aluminum

• Following are the major compounds of aluminum −

  • Alumina - Al₂O₃

  • Aluminum chloride - AlCl₃

  • Aluminum sulphate - Al₂(SO₄)₃

  • Aluminum hydroxide - Al(OH)₃

  • Aluminum carbide - Al₄C₃

Usage of Aluminum

• Aluminum has wide range of usages in the industries as well as in everyday life; significant of them are −

  • Aluminum is used in transportation industries, such as railway, automobiles, aircraft, spacecraft, trucks, marine vessels, bicycles, etc.

  • Aluminum is used in packaging some specific materials.

  • Aluminum is used in the constructions of doors, windows, building wire, sheathing, roofing, etc.

  • Aluminum is largely used in making electric wire.

  • Aluminum is used in making home appliances and many other household items, such as cooking utensils.

  • Aluminum is used in baseball bats, watches, and many more such kind of stuffs.

  • Aluminum is used in photographic equipment.

  • Aluminum is used in electronic appliances.

  • Aluminum is used as light reflector, as it is a good light reflector; basically, some of the materials are aluminum coated specially to reflect light.

  • Aluminum is used in production of hydrogen gas by reaction with hydrochloric acid.

  • Aluminum is used in manufacturing musical instruments.