Aluminum Types and Terms

  • Aluminum is a metallic element with the atomic number 13.
  • Aluminum bars and aluminum rods are solid, straight uniform products of aluminum that can be extruded. These products can have cross-sections in a variety of shapes, from circular to triangular, square and more.
  • Aluminum coil and aluminum wire are aluminum products with uniform cross-sections, available in several shapes. Products are most often supplied in coil form.
  • Aluminum foil is formed by rolling, and is generally less than .2 mm thick. Aluminum foil is generally used in the packaging industry as well as in electrical applications.
  • Aluminum pipe is a tube made out of aluminum.
  • Aluminum plate consists of rolled aluminum with a thickness greater than 6 mm. Plate is used as a component in bridges and buildings.
  • Aluminum powder is used in paints, explosives and chemical applications.
  • Aluminum profiles are extruded products of a uniform cross-section that are most often straight in length but can also be coiled.
  • Aluminum sheet is formed from the rolling process, with a thickness of between .2 mm and 6 mm. Aluminum sheet is used in the construction and transport industries.
  • Aluminum strip is a long sheet of metal with a length many times its width.
  • Aluminum tubing is a hollow aluminum product.
  • Aluminum wire is wire made of aluminum.

Alloy - A material that consists of two or more elements. At least one of these elements must be a metal.

Alloying Element - An element that is added to another metal in order to change its properties and characteristics.

Alumina - In other words, aluminum oxide.

Aluminothermy - A reaction between crushed aluminum and a metal oxide, which produces a large amount of heat and creates a metal.

Aluminum Dross - A byproduct of aluminum melting that contains impurities and is often reused in secondary aluminum production.

Annealing - The process of treating an aluminum alloy with heat in order to soften it.

Anodizing - The process of coating a material with a hard layer of aluminum oxide.

Bayer Process - The method that is used to extract alumina from bauxite ore.

Bauxite - The main ore from which aluminum is extracted using the Bayer process.

Bend Test - A test that determines the toughness of a metal through bending.

Billet - A cast, cylindrical piece of aluminum that is used to make extrusions.

Blank - A piece of metal that is cut or formed into a shape to prepare for further processing.

Casting - The process of pouring molten aluminum into a mold shaped like the final product (http://www.die-castings.net).

Conductivity - A metal's ability to conduct electricity. Aluminum is a good conductor, and therefore is often used in wires.

Degassing - The process of reducing the level of hydrogen in molten aluminum.

Ductility - A metal's ability to deform elastically and plastically without breaking.

Extrusion - The process of deforming solid aluminum by forcing a cylindrical billet through a die to create a product with a consistent cross-section.

Forging - The process of deforming solid aluminum into a product by hammering or squeezing it into a die.

Formability - A measure of a metal's ease of being deformed.

Foundry - A place that melts and casts metals into various shapes.

Hall-Heroult Process - The post-Bayer process in which the aluminum oxide becomes aluminum metal.

Heat Treatment - The process of using heat to alter the properties of aluminum.

Reflectivity - A metal's ability to reflect heat, radar and radio waves. Aluminum is a good reflector, and thus is used in radio antennae.

Rolling - The process of squeezing aluminum between two rollers to create flat plate, sheet or foil (http://www.rollformedparts.com).

Smelting - The process by which molten aluminum is produced from alumina.

Thermal Conductivity - A metal's ability to carry heat. Aluminum is the most efficient at this of all the common metals.