Everyone knows how versatile aluminum is. This material is present almost everywhere, especially in this modernized age we are in today. And being lightweight, recyclable, and multifaceted material, its areas of application are almost endless, playing a big role in everyday life. With the uses of aluminum and its endless possibilities, it is impossible to list all of them. From the infrastructures — buildings, residential and commercial spaces; vehicles — cars, boats, and planes; to household appliances, gadgets, and even the packaging of food and beverages. With the features of aluminum, its design, sustainability, corrosion resistance, and lightweight strength, all of the materials hold and adapt these properties as well.
Aluminum is also known for its lesser density and corrosion resistant qualities. It can also provide a protective covering to keep the material from wearing down. It can make the products last longer than those which are made from other materials. Besides, aluminum can be recycled 100% without losing the natural properties. This means that this material is not as bad for the environment when compared to some other materials. It is actually one of the most sustainable metals out there. Thus, others cannot be compared to aluminum when it approaches diverse uses. Thus, it is most likely that you will be able to interact with aluminum everyday.
Since aluminum is also very easy to bend, form, and cut, it means it can be a great material to work with. It can be formed into several items, and can be used according to where it will be applied. Actually, it is stronger than steel so many manufacturing companies prefer working with aluminum as the material. Thus, given its various properties, particularly its versatility, the uses of aluminum have been taken advantage of.
Consumer Goods
Aluminum is a common material used in consumer goods. In electronics, which includes laptops, flat screen TVs, smartphones, and tablets, almost all are made out of this type of metal. Aside from its versatile and multifaceted qualities, it makes the physical appearance of the products look glossy and more refined, while not risking the long-lasting and light properties. This is advantageous as both the quality and their looks are critically necessary for the form and purpose of consumer goods.
The uses of aluminum in this aspect have been put into good use, commonly utilized in high-end electronics. They have been made use of to replace plastic because of its strength and lightweightness. It does not crack like plastic, therefore, it is more durable and can look physically appealing. With the use of this type of metal as well keeps the gadgets from overheating, letting heat to disperse quickly. It is not an insulator, therefore, the risk of damaging these goods is reduced as well. Some electronic brands use aluminum as their main material in manufacturing.
Since aluminum can be very easy to bend and form into different shapes and sizes, interior designers have the freedom to use aluminum, particularly for home appliances. Additionally, it can be used for furniture as well. From chairs, tables, lamps, to frames, panels, and other kitchen items too. Since aluminum does a great job of transferring heat, it is a perfect material for pots and pans. Thus, because of these, the items that have been manufactured are capable of conducting heat, can be maintained easily, non-toxic, and are rust-resistant as well.
Packaging
Most of the packaging of certain products today incorporate aluminum. For carbonated beverages, for example. They are using aluminum cans as the standard packaging, being adapted by newly developed beverages as well. This is because aluminum is strong enough to be paper thin, withstanding pressure and impact, does not corrode, is environmentally friendly, and safe.
Aluminum foil is also widely used in the food industry as a standard packaging. Food can easily be affected by sunlight. Thus, it imposes the risk of damaging its appearance and even worsens their taste. Thus, the foil made of aluminum can be able to solve this problem, in the best way possible. Given this fact, it is generally considered as the ideal packaging material for dairy, pastries, and even for some beverages. It can provide a longer shelf life for certain products, and can even last for 2 years, at least. Given the aluminum foil’s non-toxic properties, it would not be able to damage the foods wrapped in it, and protects them instead.
Foil protects foods against sunlight exposure which can cause them to go bad. Foil does not melt from high temperature. Nor does it lose its shape or impart any bad smell to the food wrapped in it. This means foil can be used for grilling food or even for cooking on an open fire.
For example, laminated foil with paper stuck on the inside is used for packaging tea and sweets. This kind of foil is three times as waterproof as standard foil even in hot climates: the paper absorbs moisture while the foil itself protects the contents against other negative elements.
Transportation
For vehicles, the uses of aluminum are extensively consumed as a material for manufacturing. Planes, trains, boats, and automobiles have been utilizing aluminum as the main material. It can be able to reduce the overall weight of the vehicle by around 40%, without having to compromise the strength. The aluminum’s unbeatable strength makes it ideal to be used for transportation. And additionally, because of its lightweightness, vehicles manufactured with aluminum require less force in moving, and have the ability to save fuel, leading to greater fuel efficiency. Though it may reduce its durability when used on vehicles, the strength increases when alloyed with other metals.
For other transportation vehicles like trains and planes, on the other hand, aluminum has been widely used for the high-speed ones in light of giving the manufacturers the room in lessening weight, and reducing their friction. Aluminum is also known to be a winged metal, in terms of aircrafts, because it is made of flexible, strong, and light material. Airplanes use an extensive amount of aluminum. Its strength, in correlation to its weight, its low cost, and high manufacturability as well, mean that aircraft that are made with aluminum can be relatively easy to make, and even cheap to run. Additionally, the fuel savings from lighter aircraft can reduce the impact on the environment.
Another advantage of this is the aluminum’s ability to resist corrosion. It is an added advantage as it eliminates the need to buy costly anti-corrosion materials as well.
Key Takeaway
As you can see, the uses of aluminum can be utilized in almost endless areas of use. It is an ideal material used for various purposes, including the things that most people use in their daily lives. Though what has been mentioned above are only some of the most common applications of aluminum, there are other areas in which this versatile metal can be used.
