This article explains how aluminum has been transformed from a weak material like foil into a high-strength industrial material for cars, aircraft, and more, and why it’s used in so many different industries.
As you walk down the street, you may see shiny foreign cars like Audis and BMWs. Would you believe that these gorgeous cars are actually made from a material that looks as flimsy as foil? That’s the topic of this article: aluminum alloys. When many people think of aluminum, they think of a weak, bendable material that looks like foil, but aluminum is not just used for foil, reflectors, and lighting tools; it plays an important role in a wide range of industries, including automotive bodies, ship parts, aircraft fuselages, fuel tanks, and more. Understanding the properties of aluminum that make it so versatile is both fascinating and important. How can something that looks so ugly and fragile become something so cool and strong? These products all contain aluminum, but what makes their strength or properties different?
When aluminum was first discovered and produced in 1825, unlike today, it was very expensive, so researchers decided it wasn’t economically profitable to apply it to other products and moved on to other materials. However, as technology improved, it became simpler to obtain pure aluminum from aluminum mixed with impurities, and the price of aluminum dropped accordingly. As aluminum became more affordable, research began to focus on its properties and uses. Initially, its lack of strength made it difficult to apply to objects, but research continued in the direction of taking advantage of its lightweight properties. Eventually, researchers came up with the idea of mixing aluminum with other metals to create aluminum alloys.
The evolution of this material has enabled innovations in a variety of industries. For example, in the aircraft industry, the lightness and strength of aluminum alloys have helped make planes more fuel-efficient, allowing them to fly longer. In the automotive industry, aluminum alloys have also helped reduce the weight of vehicles, improving fuel efficiency and increasing passenger safety in the event of a crash. This wasn’t just a change in materials, but a major turning point that, combined with advances in technology, changed the way we live.
Aluminum alloys are divided into the 1000-7000 series, which are alloys for machining, and the 2000 series, which are alloys for casting, depending on what metal the aluminum is alloyed with, how it’s been heat treated, and what it’s used for. The first series, 1000 series aluminum alloys, are pure aluminum and are used in reflectors, lighting fixtures, and other applications due to their low strength, but also in tanks for the chemical industry due to their high corrosion resistance. Second, 2000 series aluminum alloys are alloys of aluminum, copper, and magnesium that are highly machinable and are used in sophisticated spring materials, aircraft components, and more. Third, 5000 series aluminum alloys are alloys of aluminum and magnesium with good formability and are used to make large-sized materials, such as marine materials, fuel tanks, and pressure vessels. Lastly, 7000 series aluminum alloys are alloys of aluminum, zinc, and magnesium and are the strongest and are used in transportation, such as aircraft and automobile bodies.
While many aluminum alloys play an important role in the world around us, there is a challenge that needs to be addressed before aluminum alloys can be used in more places. That’s the safety of aluminum. News stories about aluminum being harmful to the human body have created a negative perception of aluminum, and recent studies showing high levels of aluminum in the bodies of Alzheimer’s patients have led to a reluctance to use aluminum cans and containers. These concerns are factors that many people need to carefully consider when using aluminum. Once the safety of aluminum has been definitively proven, aluminum alloys will be used in a wider variety of applications, and I believe they will become the dominant building material for future buildings. This is not just a prediction, but a very realistic scenario based on the technological advancements and research currently underway.
