ALUMINIUM: THE METAL OF CHOICE

作者：Freiria Gandara Maria Josefa

来源：Materiali in Tehnologije, 2013, 47(3): 261-265.

• corrosion resistance
• aluminium alloys
• aluminium applications
• aluminium in vehicles
• CO2 emission
• aluminium recycling

This article summarizes the importance of aluminium as the metal of choice for many applications. Aluminium is a lightweight, durable metal. It is silvery in appearance when freshly cut, is a good conductor of heat and electricity, and is easily shaped by moulding and extruding. Aluminium has two main advantages when compared with other metals. Firstly, it has a low density, about one-third that of iron and copper. Secondly, although it reacts rapidly with the oxygen in air, it forms a thin, tough and impervious oxide layer that resists further oxidation. This removes the need for surface-protection coatings such as those required with other metals, in particular with iron.
All the indications are that the growth in the use of aluminium will likely accelerate. It is expected that in the near future the use of aluminium with specifically improved properties will grow in many applications, meeting the increased economic and ecological demands.
Considering the entire life-cycle of an automobile, from the extraction of materials to the final disposal, including recycling and reuse applications, aluminium proves to be a potential alternative to steels in future automotive applications.

• 出版日期2013-6