What is Aluminium?
From the foil in your kitchen drawer to the wings of an aircraft, aluminium is one of the most widely used and versatile materials in the modern world. For this reason, it is also a staple material in the world of sheet metal fabrication. But what is aluminium exactly? What makes this lightweight material so strong, corrosion-resistant and yet so easy to shape? This magical material has a unique combination of properties that make it indispensable across countless industries, and we’re here to tell you how and why!
In this guide, we’ll explore “what is aluminium?”, where it comes from, its key characteristics, and why it’s such an important part of everyday life.
Aluminium: Definition and basic facts
Aluminium is a lightweight metal typically found in the Earth’s crust. In fact, it’s the most abundant metal on our planet, making up about 8% of the crust’s mass. Physically, aluminium is soft, non-magnetic, and highly malleable. This means it can be shaped into thin sheets or made into wires with ease. It has a relatively low density, a melting point of 660°C, and it conducts heat and electricity rather well.
Its combination of lightness, strength and resistance to corrosion has made it a go-to material for applications where performance and durability matter.
How aluminium is produced
You won’t find aluminium in pure form in nature. Most of today’s aluminium is extracted from bauxite ore, which contains aluminium oxide (alumina) mixed with other minerals.
The production process has two main stages:
- Refining (Bayer process): The bauxite is crushed, washed and treated with caustic soda at high temperature and pressure to dissolve the alumina. Impurities are filtered out before the alumina is precipitated, washed and dried into a fine white powder.
- Smelting (Hall–Héroult process): The alumina is dissipated in molten cryolite and exposed to electrolysis, which separates the pure aluminium metal from oxygen.
Producing aluminium is energy intensive, which is why the industry is increasingly turning to renewable energy sources to reduce its carbon footprint. A key advantage is that aluminium is infinitely recyclable without losing quality. Recycling uses about 95% less energy than producing new aluminium, making it both an economic and environmental win.
Standout properties of aluminium
Now we’ve covered what is aluminium let’s look at some of its major benefits.
- Lightweight: With a density of just 2.7 g/cm³, aluminium is about one-third the weight of steel.
- Corrosion resistant: When exposed to air, aluminium forms a thin oxide layer that prevents further oxidation, making it naturally resistant to rust.
- Strong yet flexible: It has a high strength to weight ratio but can be alloyed with other metals for added hardness and durability.
- Highly malleable and ductile: It can be rolled into thin sheets, drawn into wires, or extruded into complex shapes.
- Excellent conductor: Aluminium efficiently conducts heat and electricity, making it useful for wiring, electronics and cookware.
- Non-toxic and safe: Widely used in food and beverage packaging without health risks.
- 100% recyclable: Can be reused endlessly without degrading in quality.
We’ve covered a little more on this subject in our blog – 11 Advantages of Aluminium.
How to cut, shape or form aluminium
There are several ways you can form, shape and manipulate aluminium into the desired product you require. Knowing how to cut aluminium can be as easy as using a hand tool (like a hacksaw or utility knife for small scale projects) or more advanced power tools (such as circular saws or band saws). Here at Salamander Fabrications we make use of laser cutting technology, which offers the type of precision and control that you simply cannot replicate with manual or standard power tools. Other techniques also include plasma cutting and waterjet cutting.
There’s also more to working with aluminium than just cutting! Welding services are at the heart of most aluminium fabrication projects, primarily when it comes to joining parts together. Sheet metal folding is vital for producing parts with bends or angles, while powder coating services ensure the final product is durable and nice on the eye too!
Key applications and uses of aluminium
Aluminium’s versatility means it plays a role in almost every aspect of modern life. Some of its most common applications include:
- Transport: Lightweight, helps improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions in the transportation industry. Aerospace in particular relies heavily on aluminium for its strength-to-weight advantage.
- Construction: From window frames and curtain walls to roofing and cladding, aluminium’s weather resistance and low maintenance needs make it ideal for construction projects.
- Packaging: Aluminium cans, foil and food trays protect contents from light, moisture and air. This keeps products fresher for longer. Its recyclability also supports sustainable packaging goals.
- Consumer goods: You’ll find aluminium in laptops, smartphones, sports equipment, and home appliances.
- Energy sector: Aluminium is used in power lines, solar panel frames and other renewable energy infrastructure because it’s lightweight and conductive.
For more information, check out our other blog – Top 10 Uses of Aluminium.
Contact Salamander Fabrications with your aluminium requirements
Aluminium is far more than just a common metal. It’s a cornerstone of modern industry and everyday life. Light, strong and endlessly recyclable, it’s a material that has shaped everything from architecture to transportation, technology, and packaging. As industries continue to innovate and sustainability becomes ever more important, aluminium’s unique properties ensure it will remain a key player in building a lighter, greener future.
We hope we have helped to answer the question – what is aluminium? If you have a project in design that involves aluminium and would like some advice or assistance in creating your product, please do not hesitate to contact us. Give us a call on 01484 843599, or send an email to sales@salamanderfabs.com.If you enjoyed reading this blog, you may like to take a read of our other post – Mechanical Properties of Materials Explained.
