The Probert Encyclopaedia of Science & Technology

ALUMINIUM

Aluminium is a bluish-silver-white, malleable, ductile, light, trivalent metallic element with good electrical and thermal conductivity, high reflectivity, and resistance to oxidation and is the most abundant metal in the earth's crust occurring always in combination. It has the symbol Al. Aluminium was discovered in 1827, but nowhere found native, although its oxide, alumina is abundantly distributed. The minerals bauxite and cryolite are sources of aluminium, but the chief source is the pure oxide, from which the metal is obtained by means of a strong electric current. It forms several useful alloys with iron and copper; one of the latter (aluminium gold) much resembles gold, and is made into cheap trinkets. Another, known as aluminium bronze, possesses great hardness and tenacity. Spoons, tea and coffee pots, dish-covers, musical and mathematical instruments, trinkets, etc, are made of aluminium, as are aircraft parts on account of its light weight.
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