Aluminum Density

At present, it is quite difficult to name a metal that could compete with aluminum in terms of its use. It is used both in consumer goods and in high-tech devices: there is no point in completely listing them due to widespread distribution. What is so remarkable about aluminum?

First of all, it is one of the most common metals in the earth's crust, and among other elements it occupies an honorable third place (after silicon and oxygen). However, surprisingly, until the end of the 10th century it was valued on a par with gold and silver. It is noteworthy that in 1889 D. Mendeleev was given a scales whose capacities were made of gold and aluminum. The reason for this lies in the fact that at that time there was no technology that allowed to receive this metal on an industrial scale. Only in 1855 an eight kilogram ingot was obtained chemically.

In the future, the technology was improved, but its essence remained the same - chemical displacement from solutions. And only in 1886 simultaneously in America and France the electrolytic method used in modern manufacture was offered. In molten cryolite (a rare natural mineral), alumina is added, a constant current is passed through the mass , as a result, metal is crystallized on the electrodes. The density of aluminum is only 2.7 g / cm3, which makes it one of the lightest metals (for comparison, the iron density is much higher - 7.9 g / cm3). By the way, all metals are divided into light and heavy according to their density. Since the specific weight of aluminum is almost three times lower than that of copper, and the electrical conductivity is only one and a half times less than it, it is not difficult to understand why this metal is widely used in electrical engineering.

Wires, tires and other electrical devices made of aluminum are not only cheaper manufactured from their direct competitor, copper, but also more lightweight. The density of aluminum is sufficient to create strong and at the same time plastic products: kitchen accessories (plates, forks, bowls), rolls of foil for domestic use, etc. At the same time, since aluminum is able to easily form alloys with most other metals, You can give the necessary properties. For example, an alloy based on aluminum and magnesium is characterized by high strength (for every 1% of magnesium, an increase in strength of 30 MPa is necessary); Mixing copper with aluminum allows to achieve mechanical properties, characteristic for some steel grades.

The density of aluminum (in pure form) is found from the tables of the characteristics of metals. As already indicated, it is equal to 2.7 g / cm3. In some cases, it becomes necessary to know the density of aluminum by using formulas (for example, if the material from which the body is made is not known). There are several ways to solve this problem, but the most accurate result is the division of the body weight by the volume occupied by it. If everything is clear with the mass, then the volume of the oversized product can easily be determined by measuring the displaced fluid (remember Archimedes with his bathroom). It is clear that it is not always possible to perform direct weighing, so this method is not universal, although it gives the most accurate result.

Interestingly, those who found the times of the Soviet Union, remember the abundance of products made of aluminum and its alloys, but now from its former greatness there is no trace, as the value of this metal has grown significantly. Why? This is explained by the fact that in the electrolytic process, about 15-17,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity (direct current) is needed to produce 1 ton of rough aluminum. And in this case the costs of rare cryolite are not taken into account, especially if it was synthesized artificially.