A. Low density

The density of aluminum is 2.7g/cm³ (one-third of the density of iron and copper), with good ductility and conductivity of two-thirds of copper wire, but only one-third of the mass, and cheaper. It is widely used in the manufacture of high-voltage wires, cables, and radio industries. The density of pure aluminum is relatively low, but the density and hardness of aluminum alloys have been greatly improved. At present, aluminum alloys have been widely used in manufacturing industries such as aircraft, automobiles, trains, and ships. In addition, space rockets, space shuttles, and artificial satellites also use a large amount of aluminum and its aluminum alloys.

B. Thermal conductor

Aluminum is a good conductor of heat (its thermal conductivity is 3 times greater than that of iron). Aluminum can be used in industry to manufacture various heat exchangers, heat dissipation materials, and cookware.

C. Ductility

Aluminum has good ductility (second only to gold and silver) and can be made into aluminum foil thinner than 0.01 mm at 100 ℃ ~ 150 ℃. These aluminum foils are widely used to package cigarettes, candies, etc., and can also be made into aluminum wires, aluminum strips, and can be rolled into various aluminum products.

D. Corrosion resistance

In the air, a dense oxide protective film will form on the surface of aluminum, making it corrosion-resistant, so it is often used to manufacture medical equipment, chemical reactors, refrigeration equipment, oil refining equipment, oil and natural gas pipelines, etc.

E. Catalyst

Thermite is often used to melt refractory metals and weld rails, etc. Aluminum is also used as a deoxidizer in the steelmaking process. Aluminum powder and graphite, titanium dioxide (or other high melting point metal oxides) are evenly mixed in a certain ratio, coated on the metal, and calcined at high temperature to make high-temperature resistant metal ceramics, which have important applications in rocket and missile technology.

F. Combustion

Aluminum can release a lot of heat and dazzling light when it burns in oxygen. It is often used to make explosive mixtures, such as ammonium aluminum explosives (mixed with aluminum powder, ammonium nitrate, charcoal powder, soot and other combustible organic matter), combustion mixtures (such as bombs and shells made of thermite can be used to attack targets that are difficult to ignite or tanks, cannons, etc.) and lighting mixtures (such as containing 28% aluminum powder, 68% barium nitrate and 4% shellac).

G. Decorative

Aluminum powder has a silvery-white luster (generally, the color of metal in powder form is mostly black). It is often used as a coating, commonly known as silver powder and silver paint, to protect iron products from corrosion and make them beautiful.

H. Low temperature resistance

Resistant to low temperatures, aluminum increases its strength at low temperatures without brittleness, so it is an ideal material for low-temperature devices, such as cold storage, freezer, Antarctic snow vehicles, and hydrogen peroxide production devices.

I. Reflectivity

Aluminum sheet also has good reflective properties for light, and it reflects ultraviolet rays more strongly than silver. The purer the aluminum, the better its reflective ability, so it is often used to make high-quality reflectors, such as solar cooker reflectors.

J. Additives

Some food additives also contain metal aluminum, such as alum, leavening agents, fermentation agents, etc., which are also used in some fried dough sticks, steamed buns, twisted dough sticks, vermicelli and some puffed foods (such as potato chips).

K. Sound absorption effect

Aluminum has sound absorption properties and good sound effects, so aluminum is also used in broadcasting rooms and ceilings in modern large buildings. Many doors and windows in homes use aluminum alloy frames for this reason.

Application prospects of aluminum

The current aluminum industry has overcapacity and insufficient utilization, and the prospects of the domestic aluminum industry in the short term are not optimistic. However, due to the very rich reserves of aluminum in the earth's crust and its many advantages over other metal elements, aluminum will still have extremely broad application prospects in the future. For example, automobile manufacturers are currently exploring the use of aluminum alloys to replace steel on a large scale, thereby making the weight of cars lighter. With the advancement of technology, aluminum alloy products will continue to grow rapidly not only in traditional application fields such as aerospace, transportation, electronics and electricity, and construction, but also in new fields.