A Visual Encyclopedia of the Periodic Table

133

The Boron Group

This foil does not

break even as it is

bent and twisted.

The aluminium

casing protects

the touchscreen.

This aluminium frame

makes the racket light.

Aluminium

cables are

lightweight.

This suit protects

against temperatures

up to 1,000°C (1,800°F).

This can is produced

from recycled aluminium.

Parts of this dome

are made of aluminium.

this foil reflects away heat. Aluminium is

the most widely used metal after iron. It is

very lightweight compared to iron’s alloy steel

and almost as strong. A dome made from

aluminium, such as the one in the Esplanade

Theatre in Singapore, can be much larger than

a steel-based one, which would collapse

under its own weight. Aluminium is also a

good electrical conductor and so is used in

overhead cables. Tough aluminium alloys

are used to produce parts of some aircraft,

including the Boeing 737.

Aluminium can

Te

nni

s^ racket

Uses

Boeing 737

Esplanade Theatre,

Singapore

Overhead cables

Smartwatch

F

ir

e

(^) p
ro
te
c
ti
o
n
(^) s
u
it This plane’s fuselage is built
from sheets of aluminium
stretched around a frame.
Alu
m
in
iu
m
f^
io
l
Recycling
one aluminium can
saves enough energy
to run a TV for
three hours.
Aluminium is expensive to purify, so it is often recycled instead.
Drinks cans are almost 100 per cent pure aluminium and can
be shredded, melted down, and made into new cans.
RECYCLING ALUMINIUM
2. They are crushed
into small bricks.
3. The blocks
are shredded
into tiny pieces.
7. New cans
are made from
these sheets.
5. The blocks are
then cast into
smaller sections.
4. The pieces are then
melted into large blocks.
6. These are
pressed into
metal sheets.

1. Used cans are
   collected for processing.
   132-133_Aluminium.indd 133 02/12/16 10:06 pm