Applications of Aluminium

Applications of Aluminium:

                   Aluminium is the most widely used non-ferrous metal. Global production of aluminium in 2005 was 31.9 million tones. It exceeded that of any other metal except iron (837.5 million tons). Forecast for 2012 is 42–45 million tons, driven by rising Chinese output. Relatively pure aluminium is encountered only when corrosion resistance and/or workability is more important than strength or hardness. A thin layer of aluminium can be deposited onto a flat surface by physical vapour deposition or (very infrequently) chemical vapour deposition or other chemical means to form optical coatings and mirrors. When so deposited, a fresh, pure aluminium film serves as a good reflector (approximately 92%) of visible light and an excellent reflector (as much as 98%) of medium and far infrared radiation.

                Pure aluminium has a low tensile strength, but when combined with thermo-mechanical processing, aluminium alloys display a marked improvement in mechanical properties, especially when tempered. Aluminium alloys form vital components of aircraft and rockets as a result of their high strength-to-weight ratio. Aluminium readily forms alloys with many elements such as copper, zinc, magnesium, manganese and silicon (e.g., duralumin). Today, almost all bulk metal materials that are referred to loosely as "aluminium", are actually alloys. For example, the common aluminium foils and beverage cans are alloys of 92% to 99% aluminium.

1.     Chemical and Food Industries:  Aluminium is resistant to many minerals and organic acids, salt solutions, organic compounds, Sulphar and many other substances. Aluminium is available in different fabricated forms and it can be assembled and finished by different process. Due to all these reasons it is used for fabricating equipment for chemical and food industries.

2.     Metallurgical Industry: Aluminium is used in the metallurgy of iron and steel as it is a power deoxidizer and reduces the dissolved and combined oxygen content of molten steel. Metallic aluminium is also used to reduce oxides of metals such as iron, chromium, vanadium and molybdenum.

3.     Structural Application: Due to its light weight and high tensile strength it is used for the construction of Aeroplanes, buses, trucks, trains and ships. Resistance of Aluminium to weather makes it possible to use aluminium in architecture for constructing such parts as roofing, sheathing, windows. Etc. stair rails and furniture, etc. also made out of aluminium.

4.      Electrical Industry:

             It is used in the manufacturing of cables. In cables, steel wire core is surrounded by aluminium conductors that carry the current. The strength of core and light weight of the cable permit long spans. Aluminium bus bars are used for the distribution of power in and around factories. Induction motors are produced with cat aluminium windings. The rotor is made with laminated steel core and the aluminium winding is cast in slots-extending through the laminations. Aluminium conductors are used in the rotors of high speed turbine generator

5.      Building and Architecture

                 Aluminum is used in buildings for a wide spectrum of applications. These include roofing for factories which incorporate foil vapour barriers, windows and pre formed sheet cladding features, doors, canopies and fronts for shops and prestigious buildings, architectural hardware and fittings, rainwater goods and replacement windows.    

6.      Cryogenic Application:

             Cryogenic means science of low temperature. In modern ­­times there is a great worth of rocket and missile industry. Cryogenic applications have close connection with missiles, rockets and space navigation. Aluminium alloys have the unusual property of remaining ductile and resistant to shock loading at extremely low temperatures. As the temperature decrease, their tensile and yield strengths improve. So they have got many advantages when used as a material of construction for cryogenic equipment. For example, aluminium is used in liquid fuelled missiles and rockets as strong material for liquid oxygen and forms the integral part of the missile or rocket.