Aluminum

Aluminum (Al) is a soft lightweight metal that has a silver color appearance.http://periodic.lanl.gov/elements/13.html http://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/al.htm Aluminum is found in the mineral bauxite. Bauxite is found naturally in subtropical and tropical regions around the world. It is mined, and then processed to remove aluminum. From that point, aluminum goes to a smelting plant to be processed. It is then used to manufacture different products.http://www.world-aluminium.org/About+Aluminium/Production

Aluminum is a reactive metal. The surface will oxidize when it is exposed to air.http://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/al.htm

Aluminum is a versatile metal, and companies use it to manufacture a wide range of products for different industries. It is strong enough to be used for instruments in the aerospace industry, and light enough to be used for making soda cans.http://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/al.htm Aluminum is used in the transportation, packaging, construction, and consumer durable goods industries.http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/aluminum/ IIt can be found in products used in everyday life such as cookware, vehicles, electrical components, and packaging for food, medication, and cosmetics (makeup).http://www.world-aluminium.org/?pg=About Aluminium/Applications and Products/Electricity http://www.world-aluminium.org/About+Aluminium/Applications+and+Products http://www.world-aluminium.org/?pg=About Aluminium/Applications and Products/Packaging

Aluminum is one of the few resources in the world that can be reused over and over again. It takes less energy to go through the recycling process then to produce aluminum from raw materials.http://www.world-aluminium.org/About+Aluminium/Production/Recycling+process Ninety five percent of energy is saved when aluminum goes through the recycling process, compared to when aluminum is produced from its natural state.http://www.world-aluminium.org/About+Aluminium/Benefits

To begin the process, debris is separated from the aluminum. Aluminum is then placed into a furnace to be melted down into a liquid.http://www.world-aluminium.org/About+Aluminium/Benefits The liquid is then poured into molds and allowed to cool into a solid.http://www.istc.illinois.edu/info/library_docs/manuals/primmetals/chapter4.htm The recycled aluminum is shipped to different manufactures for production.

It is normal for someone to eat seven to nine milligrams of aluminum in their diet daily. Small traces of aluminum can be found in drinking water, food, air, and soil. Individuals most affected are people who work in mines where aluminum is gathered, dusty factories that produce aluminum products, and by eating too many antacids. When there is a high amount of aluminum in the body, problems can develop in the lungs and cause bones to be brittle.http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts22.html Long-term affects include damage to the nervous system, loss of energy, and mental problems such as memory loss and dementia.http://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/al.htm

The content in this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please contact a doctor before using the information presented here.