Aluminum extrusions are essential lightweight, strong and corrosion-resistant parts required for glass work, windows and doors, mechanical parts, heat sinks, framing and for parts used in a wide variety of engines, motors, industrial equipment and robotics. They are used in every imaginable industry, from home appliances to transportation, making aluminum one of the worlds’ most widely used metals.
Sources of Aluminum
Aluminum is the third most abundant element on Earth (after oxygen and silicon), and the most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust. It is found naturally in combination with over 270 different minerals and is not easy to extract. Instead almost all metallic aluminum comes from bauxite ore which is formed by the decomposition of Earth's rocks and soil, typically in tropical climates.
Although used in its salt form by Ancient Greeks and Romans, aluminum was first produced in 1825 in an impure form by Danish physicist and chemist Hans Christian Ørsted. It would be decades before a process was invented to produce aluminum in commercial quantities. Thus, it was considered more valuable than gold.
Napoleon III of France reportedly hosted a banquet during the 1860s at which his most privileged guests were treated to aluminum flatware while other guests had to make do with gold utensils. In 1884, the Washington Monument received an aluminum capstone. The metal was more expensive than silver, and one ounce was equal to the daily wage of a worker on the structure. The capstone was the largest piece of cast aluminum at the time.
By the late 1880s, the Hall-Héroult electrolytic process made extracting aluminum from minerals cheaper. It immediately began to be used as a building material due to its remarkable ability to resist corrosion and its low density.
CommonUses for Aluminum
- Transportation:
Cylinder heads, pistons, radiators, wheel rims, wheel spacer bars, transmission housings, hoods, suspension components, engine blocks, impellers, alternator housings, air filler adapters, mirrors and brackets for bicycles, automobiles, trucks, train cars and marine vessels - Construction:
Siding, cladding, windows, skylights, gutters, door frames, roofing, hardware, paint, shutters, ladders and railings in buildings, street lighting poles, sailing ship masts, skylights, bridges; aluminum is present in rods, doors, stampings, wiring, bars, tubing, sheets, pipes and castings - Electrical:
Electrical transmission lines for power distributions, phone lines, light bulbs, TV aerials, satellite dishes - Electronics:
Heat sinks for electronic appliances such as transistors and CPUs - Packaging:
Aluminum foil and trays, gum and candy wrappers; food and beverage cans, containers and bottle closures; foil packaging of pharmaceuticals - Household:
Cooking products such as pots, pans and utensils; indoor and outdoor furniture, refrigerators, and toasters - Recreation:
Baseball bats, tennis racquets, golf clubs, tents, fishing poles
ACC-U-LINE™ by Hydro Extrusion represents the finest, most complete line of aluminum extruded rod, bar and hex products on the market and is highly sought after by elite machine shops around the world. As the leading aluminum extrusions manufacturer for Washington, we offer the broadest product capabilities in the industry in the Seattle market for every imaginable application.