• Automotive
• Aluminum builds a better vehicle. Aluminum’s use in automobiles and commercial vehicles is accelerating because it offers the fastest, safest, most environmentally friendly and cost-effective way to increase performance, boost fuel economy and reduce emissions. The Aluminum Association’s Aluminum Transportation Group (ATG) communicates the benefits of aluminum in transportation through research programs and related outreach activities.
• Building & Construction
• Aluminum was first used in quantity for building and construction in the 1920s. The applications were primarily oriented toward decorative detailing and art deco structures. The breakthrough came in 1930, when major structures within the Empire State Building were built with aluminum (including interior structures and the famous spire). Today, aluminum is recognized as one of the most energy efficient and sustainable construction materials. An estimated 85 percent of the aluminum used in buildings built today comes from recycled material. Aluminum-intensive LEED-certified buildings have won awards for Platinum, Gold and Best-in-State sustainability across the country.
• Electrical
• Aluminum-based electrical wiring was first used for utility applications in the early 1900s. Use of aluminum wiring grew rapidly after World War II and it has increasingly replaced copper as the conductor of choice in utility grids. The metal has significant cost and weight advantages over copper and is now the preferred material for electricity transmission and distribution uses. AA-8000 series aluminum alloy conductors have more than 40 years of reliable field installations and have been recognized specifically by the National Electrical Code for over three decades.
• Electronics & Appliances
• Home appliances—the washing machine, dryer, refrigerator and laptop—exist as they are today because of aluminum’s light weight, structural strength and thermal characteristics. Iconic brands stretching from West Bend’s 1970 Presto Cooker to Apple’s iPod, iPad and iPhone share a single, common characteristic: the use of aluminum.
• Foil & Packaging
• The origin of aluminum foil can be traced by to the early 1900s. Life Savers—one of today’s most popular candies—were first packaged in foil in 1913. To this day, the treats are encased in the world-famous aluminum foil tube. The uses of foil have grown over the past 100 years to a nearly endless count. From Christmas tree ornaments to spacecraft insulation, TV dinners to medicine packets—aluminum foil has, in many ways, improved both our products and our lives.
• Other Markets
• Since the introduction of aluminum into major U.S. markets in the early 1900s, the reach of this metal has grown exponentially. As aluminum enters into its second century of widespread use, new scientific and production technologies continue to expand its market potential. Solar panel nanotechnology, transparent aluminum alloys and aluminum-air batteries will help lead the way toward the development of new and innovative markets in the 21st century.
Post time: Jul-08-2021