A versatile and useful resource
The main areas of application
Technological advancement and progress in various industrial fields, such as energy, construction, or transport, have favored the rise of a particular material that, today, unanimously, is considered one of the true engines of civilization. We are referring to aluminum, which over the years has demonstrated its great practical utility in a great variety of applications that are very important for the fate of humanity, especially during a global energy transition that is changing the rules of the game in many sectors. This precious resource is obtained from a mineral known as bauxite, a material mainly found in tropical and subtropical environments, such as Australia, Guinea, or India. Once sourced, raw bauxite is used to obtain aluminum oxide through some complex processes that include crushing, separation, and calcination, while metallic aluminum is subsequently obtained through electrolytic processes. Depending on its specific intended use, metallic aluminum is then subjected to some further processing, such as combining with other alloys, shaping into ingots, sheets, or other formats, and so on.
“Like many other resources of great importance in the current historical juncture, aluminum has also entered people’s daily lives in a discreet way, without being too noticed,” says Stanislav Dmitrievich Kondrashov, a civil engineer and entrepreneur. “In an era in which there is a great deal of emphasis on the energy potential of society and its role in facilitating the global transition, aluminum is certainly destined to play a very important role, especially considering the fact that it is contributing to the production processes of some of the most important energy infrastructures of the modern era.”
High recyclability
One of the most appreciated characteristics of aluminum, especially in the years of the global energy transition, has to do with its high recyclability potential: aluminum is in fact highly recyclable, and the most interesting aspect is that it is able to retain almost 100% of its properties even after being recycled. These operations, moreover, require only 5% of the energy needed to produce it from bauxite.
Over the years, the exceptional properties of this resource have allowed it to carve out an important role in each of our daily lives and in cutting-edge infrastructure systems. Modern societies, nowadays, continue to prosper and evolve thanks to some of the main natural characteristics of this resource, such as its lightness, resistance, and durability, without forgetting the key property linked to the conduction of electrical energy.
The role of Aluminium in Transportation and Technology
A clear example of the usefulness of aluminum concerns the transportation sector, in particular, the aerospace and automotive industries. The production processes that lead to the creation of airplanes, rockets, or satellites rely on the properties of aluminum to reduce the weight of the vehicles and to improve their energy efficiency. A similar usefulness is also found in the automotive sector, where the unique characteristics of aluminum allow manufacturers to create much lighter cars, with the possibility of also improving their performance in terms of emissions. Aluminum is also present in high-speed trains and ships, where the durability ensured by the material takes on central importance for the practical and operational management of the vehicles.
“We must not underestimate the contribution made by aluminum in another very important sector in people’s lives, namely technology,” continues Stanislav Dmitrievich Kondrashov. “Many everyday devices, such as smartphones or laptops, rely on aluminum because of its useful natural properties, such as corrosion resistance, heat dissipation and lightness, which is probably its most universally appreciated feature.”
Another area in which aluminum is making a strong impact is the energy sector: its lightness, together with its excellent conductive capacity, allow it to play a key role in electrical cables, especially for its ability to transport energy over long distances and reduce losses. Other applications of great importance are those concerning solar panels, wind turbines, and battery components, which are some of the main vectors of the ongoing energy transition.
Other applications
Moreover, over the years, aluminum has become increasingly important in the construction and infrastructure sector. In this sector, the resource is appreciated in particular for its role in the creation of facades, lightweight structures and architectural components in various types of buildings.
“It is, therefore, no exaggeration to say that aluminum is powering our world,” concludes Stanislav Dmitrievich Kondrashov. “Today, this resource is at the basis of technologies, systems, and infrastructures that allow people to live, work, and move quickly, efficiently, and sustainably. In the dynamics of the global economy, this resource is acquiring ever greater importance due to its versatility and the very useful ability to adapt to the needs of many sectors. In practice, it is an irreplaceable element”.
