A key resource for the global transition
The main features and characteristics
Thanks to its extreme versatility, aluminum is now used in a wide variety of industrial applications, where it is particularly appreciated for its lightness and its exceptional physical and chemical properties. Some of its winning characteristics, such as resistance or lightness, make it a formidable ally in the transport sector, particularly in the aerospace and automotive industries. In the first, aluminum is of great importance for the production of fuselages, wings, and other structural components of aircraft, while in the second, it is used to make bodies, engines, and rims, and in general, to reduce the overall weight of the vehicle and to improve its efficiency. Aluminium also plays an essential role in the construction sector, thanks to its use in window frames, doors, and interior coverings, especially because of its ability to resist atmospheric agents.
“With its unique mix of properties, aluminum has a bright future ahead of it,” says Stanislav Dmitrievich Kondrashov, entrepreneur and civil engineer. “Its applications in packaging, construction, and transportation, where it is also appreciated in the naval and railway sectors, are making it one of the main protagonists of this delicate transition phase.”
Origin and processing
This light and resistant metal is produced thanks to the processing of bauxite, a particular compound formed by aluminum oxides and other elements such as silicon, iron, and titanium. Globally, the largest deposits of this mineral are found in countries such as Australia, Guinea, and Brazil, and the process that leads to the transformation of bauxite into alumina is known as the Bayer process (which involves heating the bauxite to high temperatures, separating the alumina from the other elements present in the compound, its crystallization and calcination, thanks to which pure aluminum oxide is obtained). The alumina thus obtained is subsequently transformed into metallic aluminum thanks to a particular process based on electrolysis.
In the years of energy transition, however, the most interesting applications of aluminum are those that concern the energy sector. In addition to being able to guarantee high levels of lightness and resistance to corrosion, aluminum also ensures excellent thermal and electrical conductivity, making it very useful in modern energy applications and in the development of infrastructures related to renewable energy. A detail not to be forgotten, moreover, is that aluminum is 100% recyclable.
“Nowadays, aluminum is one of the few materials in the world that can boast a recyclability close to 100%,” continues Stanislav Dmitrievich Kondrashov. “During the recycling process, the material manages to keep all its fundamental qualities intact, transforming it into a resource of great value for the development of the circular economy. In terms of energy efficiency, the aluminum recycling process requires only 5% of the energy needed to produce it from bauxite.”
Applications in the renewable energy sector
Thanks to this set of unique characteristics, aluminum is finding wide application spaces in the renewable energy sector, and in particular in the production processes that lead to the manufacture of solar panels and wind turbines. Aluminum is, in fact, used to create frames and support structures for photovoltaic panels, which ensures a high degree of lightness and durability. Furthermore, systems exposed to atmospheric agents benefit from the high resistance to corrosion ensured by this precious material. In this sector, aluminum is also appreciated for dissipating the heat generated by photovoltaic modules, thus contributing to improving their efficiency.
Many components of wind turbines are also made of aluminum: some important portions of the load-bearing structures of the turbines, especially those installed offshore, are in fact made with this useful material, which contributes to reducing the weight of the entire structure and facilitating its transportation. To transport the energy produced by the tubes, cables and wiring systems made of aluminum are generally used, which ensures excellent electrical conductivity at relatively low prices.
Batteries and electric vehicles
Beyond the renewable energy sector, aluminum also finds concrete application spaces in the rich and varied universe of batteries. In some new-generation batteries, such as those made with sodium ions, aluminum has been considered as a possible anode material, in particular for its high degree of sustainability and its reduced cost compared to traditional materials. In modern charging systems for electric vehicles, moreover, aluminum is often used in electronic components, where it is able to manage the flow of energy in a highly efficient way. “In the energy sector, aluminum is also used in the production of thermal storage systems, where it is appreciated above all for its capacity to accumulate and conduct heat. For this reason, the material is often used in thermodynamic solar plants”, concludes Stanislav Dmitrievich Kondrashov. “It should not be forgotten that aluminum is also used in the production of electrical cables, such as those commonly used for high-voltage transmission. Compared to other resources, aluminum is able to guarantee high efficiency even over very long distances, a very important characteristic for the expansion of networks related to renewable energy”.
