Pure aluminum is very soft, not very strong, and has good ductility. It can be drawn into filaments and rolled into foils. It is widely used in the manufacturing of wires, cables, radio industry, and packaging industry. Its electrical conductivity is about two-thirds that of copper, but because its density is only one-third that of copper, comparing aluminum wires and copper wires of equal mass and length, aluminum's electrical conductivity is about copper Twice that of copper, and the price is lower than that of copper. Therefore, high-voltage wires in the field are mostly made of aluminum, which saves a lot of costs and relieves the tension of copper materials.
The thermal conductivity of aluminum is three times greater than that of iron. Aluminum is commonly used in industry to make various heat exchangers, heat dissipation materials, etc. Many cooking utensils used in households are also made of aluminum. It is also less susceptible to rust than iron, extending its service life. Aluminum powder has a silvery white luster and is often mixed with other substances and used as paint. It is brushed on the surface of iron products to protect them from corrosion and make them beautiful. Because aluminum emits dazzling white light and releases a large amount of heat when it burns in oxygen, it is often used to make some explosive mixtures, such as ammonium-aluminum explosives.
In the metallurgical industry, thermite is commonly used to smelt refractory metals. For example, if aluminum powder and iron oxide powder are mixed, a violent reaction will occur after triggering. This is often used to weld rails in transportation; aluminum is often used as a deoxidizer in the steelmaking industry; smooth aluminum plates have good light reflection properties and can be used to manufacture high-quality Reflector, condenser bowl, etc. Aluminum also has good sound-absorbing properties. Based on this feature, aluminum is used in some broadcast rooms and ceilings in modern large buildings. Pure aluminum is relatively soft. In 1906, German metallurgist Wilm added a small amount of magnesium and copper to aluminum to make a tough aluminum alloy. Later, this patent was purchased by the German Dura Company, so aluminum also has the name "Dura". Known as "aluminum", in the development process of the next few decades, people developed many aluminum alloys according to different needs, which played a very important role in many fields.
Adding a small amount of aluminum to some metals can greatly improve their properties. Such as bronze aluminum (containing 4% to 15% aluminum). This alloy has high strength and corrosion resistance, has a hardness close to that of low carbon steel, and has a metallic luster that is not easy to darken. It is often used in jewelry and construction industries to manufacture machinery. Parts and tools for pickling equipment and other equipment in contact with dilute sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid and hydrofluoric acid; making electric welding machine brushes and clamp handles; heavy-duty gears and worm gears, metal forming dies, machine tool guide rails, non-sparking Tools, non-magnetic chains, pressure vessels, heat exchangers, compressor blades, ship propellers and anchors, etc. Adding magnesium to aluminum produces an aluminum-magnesium alloy. Its hardness is much greater than that of pure magnesium and aluminum, and it retains its light weight. It is often used to manufacture aircraft fuselages and rocket bodies; to manufacture doors, windows, Beautify the living environment; build ships.
Aluminizing is a chemical heat treatment method for steel, which forms a high-temperature resistant aluminum oxide film on the surface of ordinary carbon steel or cast iron to protect the iron inside. Aluminum is a very important metal.
Aluminum can replace metals from other oxides (thermite method). Its alloy is light and tough and is a structural material for manufacturing airplanes, rockets, and automobiles. Pure aluminum is used extensively in cables. It is widely used to make daily utensils.