Illuminating Facts About Aluminum

Aluminum is a strange element. It is the third most common element found in the Earth's crust, but nowhere in the levels of soil and rock below the crust. It is both soft and hard at the same time, depending on the thickness of the aluminum and what is made from it. There is a theory that aluminum is an alien element to Earth, given that it only exists in the surface layer of the planet, and no life form on Earth requires it. If you would like to learn more about this element, and what can be made from it, here are some illuminating facts about aluminum.

The Half-Life of Aluminum

There are two main reasons why aluminum is recycled. One, it is made from a particular isotope that has a half-life of nearly 720,000 years, but this material is finite. Two, no other isotope or form of aluminum is able to hold its structure for longer than an hour. Everything you know that is made from aluminum is made from the aluminum that lasts the longest, which proves its durability. This makes aluminum ideal for satellites in space and rocket travel. Recycling aluminum ensures that space exploration continues and that everything you need a satellite for also continues.

Experimentation with Aluminum

Because this metal is not needed for survival by any life form on Earth, it is of great fascination to researchers and scientists. Almost everything in the known world is of use to this or that life form, which is why it exists here. With the curious existence of aluminum and its unexplained presence on the planet, scientists and researchers are looking to see if there is any benefit to human, plant, or animal that might explain aluminum. If you own and operate a research company or a pharmaceuticals company, you may want to dedicate a small department to aluminum research in the off-chance of making a miraculous discovery.

Aluminum Does Not Rust, but Aluminum-Bauxite Ore Does

Aluminum is prized for its ability to neither rust nor corrode. Oddly enough, aluminum has to be extracted from aluminum-bauxite ore, an ore that contains iron, which does rust. How these two metals manage to merge and rust as a merged metal is one for the chemists and geologists, but separating them creates two metals with their own properties and uses. Keeping them merged also creates its own product, a fact that may come in handy when you are constructing everything from car panels to doors and window frames.

For more information, contact a company like A & C Metals - Sawing.


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