Aluminum and its compounds

The main subgroup of group III of the periodic table consists of boron (B), aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), indium (In) and thallium (Tl).

As can be seen from the above data, all these elements were discovered in the 19th century.

Boron is a non-metal. Aluminum is a transition metal, while gallium, indium and thallium are full-fledged metals. Thus, with increasing radii of the atoms of the elements of each group of the periodic table, the metallic properties of simple substances increase.

The position of aluminum in D. I. Mendeleev’s table. Atomic structure, oxidation states

The element aluminum is located in group III, the main “A” subgroup, period 3 of the periodic system, serial number No. 13, relative atomic mass Ar(Al) = 27. Its neighbor on the left in the table is magnesium - a typical metal, and on the right - silicon - already non-metal. Consequently, aluminum must exhibit properties of some intermediate nature and its compounds are amphoteric.

Al +13) 2) 8) 3, p – element,

Ground state 1s 2 2s 2 2p 6 3s 2 3p 1

Excited state 1s 2 2s 2 2p 6 3s 1 3p 2

Aluminum exhibits an oxidation state of +3 in compounds:

Al 0 – 3 e - → Al +3

Physical properties

Aluminum in its free form is a silvery-white metal with high thermal and electrical conductivity. The melting point is 650 o C. Aluminum has a low density (2.7 g/cm 3) - about three times less than that of iron or copper, and at the same time it is a durable metal.

Being in nature

In terms of prevalence in nature, it ranks 1st among metals and 3rd among elements, second only to oxygen and silicon. The percentage of aluminum content in the earth's crust, according to various researchers, ranges from 7.45 to 8.14% of the mass of the earth's crust.

In nature, aluminum occurs only in compounds(minerals).

Some of them:

· Bauxite - Al 2 O 3 H 2 O (with impurities of SiO 2, Fe 2 O 3, CaCO 3)

· Nephelines - KNa 3 4

Alunites - KAl(SO 4) 2 2Al(OH) 3

· Alumina (mixtures of kaolins with sand SiO 2, limestone CaCO 3, magnesite MgCO 3)

· Corundum - Al 2 O 3 (ruby, sapphire)

· Feldspar (orthoclase) - K 2 O×Al 2 O 3 ×6SiO 2

Kaolinite - Al 2 O 3 × 2SiO 2 × 2H 2 O

Alunite - (Na,K) 2 SO 4 ×Al 2 (SO 4) 3 ×4Al(OH) 3

· Beryl - 3BeO Al 2 O 3 6SiO 2

Chemical properties of aluminum and its compounds

Aluminum reacts easily with oxygen under normal conditions and is coated with an oxide film (which gives it a matte appearance).

Its thickness is 0.00001 mm, but thanks to it, aluminum does not corrode. To study the chemical properties of aluminum, the oxide film is removed. (Using sandpaper, or chemically: first dipping it into an alkali solution to remove the oxide film, and then into a solution of mercury salts to form an alloy of aluminum with mercury - amalgam).

• Designation - Al (Aluminum);
• Period - III;
• Group - 13 (IIIa);
• Atomic mass - 26.981538;
• Atomic number - 13;
• Atomic radius = 143 pm;
• Covalent radius = 121 pm;
• Electron distribution - 1s 2 2s 2 2p 6 3s 2 3p 1 ;
• melting temperature = 660°C;
• boiling point = 2518°C;
• Electronegativity (according to Pauling/according to Alpred and Rochow) = 1.61/1.47;
• Oxidation state: +3.0;
• Density (no.) = 2.7 g/cm3;
• Molar volume = 10.0 cm 3 /mol.

Aluminum (alum) was first obtained in 1825 by the Dane G. K. Oersted. Initially, before the discovery of an industrial method of production, aluminum was more expensive than gold.

Aluminum is the most abundant metal in the earth's crust (mass fraction is 7-8%), and the third most abundant of all elements after oxygen and silicon. Aluminum is not found in free form in proirod.

The most important natural aluminum compounds:

• aluminosilicates - Na 2 O Al 2 O 3 2SiO 2 ; K 2 O Al 2 O 3 2SiO 2
• bauxite - Al 2 O 3 · n H2O
• corundum - Al 2 O 3
• cryolite - 3NaF AlF 3

Rice. Structure of the aluminum atom.

Aluminum is a chemically active metal - at its outer electronic level there are three electrons that participate in the formation of covalent bonds when aluminum interacts with other chemical elements (see Covalent bond). Aluminum is a strong reducing agent and exhibits an oxidation state of +3 in all compounds.

At room temperature, aluminum reacts with oxygen contained in the atmospheric air to form a strong oxide film, which reliably prevents the process of further oxidation (corrosion) of the metal, as a result of which the chemical activity of aluminum decreases.

Thanks to the oxide film, aluminum does not react with nitric acid at room temperature, therefore, aluminum cookware is a reliable container for storing and transporting nitric acid.

Physical properties of aluminum:

• silver-white metal;
• solid;
• lasting;
• easy;
• plastic (stretched into thin wire and foil);
• has high electrical and thermal conductivity;
• melting point 660°C
• natural aluminum consists of one isotope 27 13 Al

Chemical properties of aluminum:

• when removing the oxide film, aluminum reacts with water:
  2Al + 6H 2 O = 2Al(OH) 3 + 3H 2;
• at room temperature it reacts with bromine and chlorine to form salts:
  2Al + 3Br 2 = 2AlCl 3;
• at high temperatures, aluminum reacts with oxygen and sulfur (the reaction is accompanied by the release of a large amount of heat):
  4Al + 3O 2 = 2Al 2 O 3 + Q;
  2Al + 3S = Al 2 S 3 + Q;
• at t=800°C reacts with nitrogen:
  2Al + N 2 = 2AlN;
• at t=2000°C reacts with carbon:
  2Al + 3C = Al 4 C 3;
• reduces many metals from their oxides - aluminothermy(at temperatures up to 3000°C) tungsten, vanadium, titanium, calcium, chromium, iron, manganese are produced industrially:
  8Al + 3Fe 3 O 4 = 4Al 2 O 3 + 9Fe;
• reacts with hydrochloric and dilute sulfuric acid to release hydrogen:
  2Al + 6HCl = 2AlCl3 + 3H2;
  2Al + 3H 2 SO 4 = Al 2 (SO 4) 3 + 3H 2;
• reacts with concentrated sulfuric acid at high temperature:
  2Al + 6H 2 SO 4 = Al 2 (SO 4) 3 + 3SO 2 + 6H 2 O;
• reacts with alkalis with the release of hydrogen and the formation of complex salts - the reaction occurs in several stages: when aluminum is immersed in an alkali solution, the durable protective oxide film that is on the surface of the metal dissolves; after the film dissolves, aluminum, as an active metal, reacts with water to form aluminum hydroxide, which reacts with alkali as an amphoteric hydroxide:
  • Al 2 O 3 +2NaOH = 2NaAlO 2 +H 2 O - dissolution of the oxide film;
  • 2Al+6H 2 O = 2Al(OH) 3 +3H 2 - interaction of aluminum with water to form aluminum hydroxide;
  • NaOH+Al(OH) 3 = NaAlO 2 + 2H 2 O - interaction of aluminum hydroxide with alkali
  • 2Al+2NaOH+2H 2 O = 2NaAlO 2 +3H 2 - the overall equation for the reaction of aluminum with alkali.

Aluminum connections

Al 2 O 3 (alumina)

Aluminium oxide Al 2 O 3 is a white, very refractory and hard substance (in nature, only diamond, carborundum and borazone are harder).

Alumina properties:

• does not dissolve in water and reacts with it;
• is an amphoteric substance, reacting with acids and alkalis:
  Al 2 O 3 + 6HCl = 2AlCl 3 + 3H 2 O;
  Al 2 O 3 + 6NaOH + 3H 2 O = 2Na 3;
• how an amphoteric oxide reacts when fused with metal oxides and salts to form aluminates:
  Al 2 O 3 + K 2 O = 2KAlO 2.

In industry, alumina is obtained from bauxite. In laboratory conditions, alumina can be obtained by burning aluminum in oxygen:
4Al + 3O 2 = 2Al 2 O 3.

Applications of Alumina:

• for the production of aluminum and electrical ceramics;
• as an abrasive and refractory material;
• as a catalyst in organic synthesis reactions.

Al(OH)3

Aluminum hydroxide Al(OH) 3 is a white crystalline solid that is obtained as a result of an exchange reaction from a solution of aluminum hydroxide - it precipitates as a white gelatinous precipitate that crystallizes over time. This amphoteric compound is almost insoluble in water:
Al(OH) 3 + 3NaOH = Na 3;
Al(OH) 3 + 3HCl = AlCl 3 + 3H 2 O.

• interaction of Al(OH) 3 with acids:
  Al(OH) 3 +3H + Cl = Al 3+ Cl 3 +3H 2 O
• interaction of Al(OH) 3 with alkalis:
  Al(OH) 3 +NaOH - = NaAlO 2 - +2H 2 O

Aluminum hydroxide is obtained by the action of alkalis on solutions of aluminum salts:
AlCl 3 + 3NaOH = Al(OH) 3 + 3NaCl.

Production and use of aluminum

Aluminum is quite difficult to isolate from natural compounds by chemical means, which is explained by the high strength of bonds in aluminum oxide; therefore, for the industrial production of aluminum, electrolysis of a solution of alumina Al 2 O 3 in molten cryolite Na 3 AlF 6 is used. As a result of the process, aluminum is released at the cathode, and oxygen is released at the anode:

2Al 2 O 3 → 4Al + 3O 2

The starting raw material is bauxite. Electrolysis occurs at a temperature of 1000°C: the melting point of aluminum oxide is 2500°C - it is not possible to carry out electrolysis at this temperature, so aluminum oxide is dissolved in molten cryolite, and only then the resulting electrolyte is used in electrolysis to produce aluminum.

Application of aluminum:

• aluminum alloys are widely used as structural materials in automobile, aircraft, and shipbuilding: duralumin, silumin, aluminum bronze;
• in the chemical industry as a reducing agent;
• in the food industry for the production of foil, tableware, packaging material;
• for making wires, etc.

Aluminum is an amphoteric metal. The electronic configuration of the aluminum atom is 1s 2 2s 2 2p 6 3s 2 3p 1. Thus, it has three valence electrons on its outer electron layer: 2 on the 3s and 1 on the 3p sublevel. Due to this structure, it is characterized by reactions as a result of which the aluminum atom loses three electrons from the outer level and acquires an oxidation state of +3. Aluminum is a highly reactive metal and exhibits very strong reducing properties.

Interaction of aluminum with simple substances

with oxygen

When absolutely pure aluminum comes into contact with air, aluminum atoms located in the surface layer instantly interact with oxygen in the air and form a thin, tens of atomic layers thick, durable oxide film of the composition Al 2 O 3, which protects aluminum from further oxidation. It is also impossible to oxidize large samples of aluminum even at very high temperatures. However, fine aluminum powder burns quite easily in a burner flame:

4Al + 3O 2 = 2Al 2 O 3

with halogens

Aluminum reacts very vigorously with all halogens. Thus, the reaction between mixed aluminum and iodine powders occurs already at room temperature after adding a drop of water as a catalyst. Equation for the interaction of iodine with aluminum:

2Al + 3I 2 =2AlI 3

Aluminum also reacts with bromine, which is a dark brown liquid, without heating. Simply add a sample of aluminum to liquid bromine: a violent reaction immediately begins, releasing a large amount of heat and light:

2Al + 3Br 2 = 2AlBr 3

The reaction between aluminum and chlorine occurs when heated aluminum foil or fine aluminum powder is added to a flask filled with chlorine. Aluminum burns effectively in chlorine according to the equation:

2Al + 3Cl 2 = 2AlCl 3

with sulfur

When heated to 150-200 o C or after igniting a mixture of powdered aluminum and sulfur, an intense exothermic reaction begins between them with the release of light:

— sulfide aluminum

with nitrogen

When aluminum reacts with nitrogen at a temperature of about 800 o C, aluminum nitride is formed:

with carbon

At a temperature of about 2000 o C, aluminum reacts with carbon and forms aluminum carbide (methanide), containing carbon in the -4 oxidation state, as in methane.

Interaction of aluminum with complex substances

with water

As mentioned above, a stable and durable oxide film of Al 2 O 3 prevents aluminum from oxidizing in air. The same protective oxide film makes aluminum inert towards water. When removing the protective oxide film from the surface by methods such as treatment with aqueous solutions of alkali, ammonium chloride or mercury salts (amalgiation), aluminum begins to react vigorously with water to form aluminum hydroxide and hydrogen gas:

with metal oxides

After igniting a mixture of aluminum with oxides of less active metals (to the right of aluminum in the activity series), an extremely violent, highly exothermic reaction begins. Thus, in the case of interaction of aluminum with iron (III) oxide, a temperature of 2500-3000 o C develops. As a result of this reaction, high-purity molten iron is formed:

2AI + Fe 2 O 3 = 2Fe + Al 2 O 3

This method of obtaining metals from their oxides by reduction with aluminum is called aluminothermy or aluminothermy.

with non-oxidizing acids

The interaction of aluminum with non-oxidizing acids, i.e. with almost all acids, except concentrated sulfuric and nitric acids, leads to the formation of an aluminum salt of the corresponding acid and hydrogen gas:

a) 2Al + 3H 2 SO 4 (diluted) = Al 2 (SO 4) 3 + 3H 2

2Al 0 + 6H + = 2Al 3+ + 3H 2 0 ;

b) 2AI + 6HCl = 2AICl3 + 3H2

with oxidizing acids

-concentrated sulfuric acid

The interaction of aluminum with concentrated sulfuric acid under normal conditions and at low temperatures does not occur due to an effect called passivation. When heated, the reaction is possible and leads to the formation of aluminum sulfate, water and hydrogen sulfide, which is formed as a result of the reduction of sulfur, which is part of sulfuric acid:

Such a deep reduction of sulfur from the oxidation state +6 (in H 2 SO 4) to the oxidation state -2 (in H 2 S) occurs due to the very high reducing ability of aluminum.

- concentrated nitric acid

Under normal conditions, concentrated nitric acid also passivates aluminum, which makes it possible to store it in aluminum containers. Just as in the case of concentrated sulfuric acid, the interaction of aluminum with concentrated nitric acid becomes possible with strong heating, and the reaction predominantly occurs:

- dilute nitric acid

The interaction of aluminum with diluted nitric acid compared to concentrated nitric acid leads to products of deeper nitrogen reduction. Instead of NO, depending on the degree of dilution, N 2 O and NH 4 NO 3 can be formed:

8Al + 30HNO 3(dil.) = 8Al(NO 3) 3 +3N 2 O + 15H 2 O

8Al + 30HNO 3(pure dilute) = 8Al(NO 3) 3 + 3NH 4 NO 3 + 9H 2 O

with alkalis

Aluminum reacts both with aqueous solutions of alkalis:

2Al + 2NaOH + 6H 2 O = 2Na + 3H 2

and with pure alkalis during fusion:

In both cases, the reaction begins with the dissolution of the protective film of aluminum oxide:

Al 2 O 3 + 2NaOH + 3H 2 O = 2Na

Al 2 O 3 + 2NaOH = 2NaAlO 2 + H 2 O

In the case of an aqueous solution, aluminum, cleared of the protective oxide film, begins to react with water according to the equation:

2Al + 6H 2 O = 2Al(OH) 3 + 3H 2

The resulting aluminum hydroxide, being amphoteric, reacts with an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide to form soluble sodium tetrahydroxoaluminate:

Al(OH) 3 + NaOH = Na

The chemical properties of aluminum are determined by its position in the periodic table of chemical elements.

Below are the main chemical reactions of aluminum with other chemical elements. These reactions determine the basic chemical properties of aluminum.

What does aluminum react with?

Simple substances:

• halogens (fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine)
• phosphorus
• carbon
• oxygen (combustion)

Complex substances:

• mineral acids (hydrochloric, phosphoric)
• sulfuric acid
• Nitric acid
• alkalis
• oxidizing agents
• oxides of less active metals (aluminothermy)

What does aluminum not react with?

Aluminum does not react:

• with hydrogen
• under normal conditions - with concentrated sulfuric acid (due to passivation - the formation of a dense oxide film)
• under normal conditions - with concentrated nitric acid (also due to passivation)

Aluminum and air

Typically, the surface of aluminum is always coated with a thin layer of aluminum oxide, which protects it from exposure to air, or more precisely, oxygen. Therefore, it is believed that aluminum does not react with air. If this oxide layer is damaged or removed, the fresh aluminum surface reacts with oxygen in the air. Aluminum can burn in oxygen with a blinding white flame to form aluminum oxide Al2O3.

Reaction of aluminum with oxygen:

• 4Al + 3O 2 -> 2Al 2 O 3

Aluminum and water

Aluminum reacts with water in the following reactions:

• 2Al + 6H 2 O = 2Al(OH) 3 + 3H 2 (1)
• 2Al + 4H 2 O = 2AlO(OH) + 3H 2 (2)
• 2Al + 3H 2 O = Al 2 O 3 + 3H 2 (3)

As a result of these reactions, the following are formed, respectively:

• modification of aluminum hydroxide bayerite and hydrogen (1)
• modification of aluminum hydroxide bohemite and hydrogen (2)
• aluminum oxide and hydrogen (3)

These reactions, by the way, are of great interest in the development of compact plants for producing hydrogen for vehicles that run on hydrogen.

All these reactions are thermodynamically possible at temperatures from room temperature to the melting point of aluminum 660 ºС. All of them are also exothermic, that is, they occur with the release of heat:

• At temperatures from room temperature to 280 ºС, the most stable reaction product is Al(OH) 3.
• At temperatures from 280 to 480 ºС, the most stable reaction product is AlO(OH).
• At temperatures above 480 ºС, the most stable reaction product is Al 2 O 3.

Thus, aluminum oxide Al 2 O 3 becomes thermodynamically more stable than Al(OH) 3 at elevated temperatures. The product of the reaction of aluminum with water at room temperature will be aluminum hydroxide Al(OH) 3.

Reaction (1) shows that aluminum should react spontaneously with water at room temperature. However, in practice, a piece of aluminum immersed in water does not react with water at room temperature or even in boiling water. The fact is that aluminum has a thin coherent layer of aluminum oxide Al 2 O 3 on its surface. This oxide film adheres firmly to the surface of the aluminum and prevents it from reacting with water. Therefore, in order to start and maintain the reaction of aluminum with water at room temperature, it is necessary to constantly remove or destroy this oxide layer.

Aluminum and halogens

Aluminum reacts violently with all halogens - these are:

• fluorine F
• chlorine Cl
• bromine Br and
• iodine (iodine) I,

with education respectively:

• fluoride AlF 3
• AlCl 3 chloride
• bromide Al 2 Br 6 and
• Al 2 Br 6 iodide.

Reactions of hydrogen with fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine:

• 2Al + 3F 2 → 2AlF 3
• 2Al + 3Cl 2 → 2AlCl 3
• 2Al + 3Br 2 → Al 2 Br 6
• 2Al + 3l 2 → Al 2 I 6

Aluminum and acids

Aluminum actively reacts with dilute acids: sulfuric, hydrochloric and nitric, with the formation of the corresponding salts: aluminum sulfate Al 2 SO 4, aluminum chloride AlCl 3 and aluminum nitrate Al(NO 3) 3.

Reactions of aluminum with dilute acids:

• 2Al + 3H 2 SO 4 -> Al 2 (SO 4) 3 + 3H 2
• 2Al + 6HCl -> 2AlCl 3 + 3H 2
• 2Al + 6HNO 3 -> 2Al(NO 3) 3 + 3H 2

It does not interact with concentrated sulfuric and hydrochloric acids at room temperature; when heated, it reacts to form salts, oxides and water.

Aluminum and alkalis

Aluminum in an aqueous solution of alkali - sodium hydroxide - reacts to form sodium aluminate.

The reaction of aluminum with sodium hydroxide has the form:

• 2Al + 2NaOH + 10H 2 O -> 2Na + 3H 2

Sources:

1. Chemical Elements. The first 118 elements, ordered alphabetically / ed. Wikipedians - 2018

2. Reaction of Aluminum with Water to Produce Hydrogen /John Petrovic and George Thomas, U.S. Department of Energy, 2008

WHAT IS ALUMINUM

Lightweight, durable, corrosion-resistant and functional - it is this combination of qualities that has made aluminum the main structural material of our time. Aluminum is in the houses we live in, the cars, trains and planes we travel on, in mobile phones and computers, on refrigerator shelves and in modern interiors. But 200 years ago little was known about this metal.

“What seemed impossible for centuries, what yesterday was just a daring dream, today becomes a real task, and tomorrow - an accomplishment.”

Sergei Pavlovich Korolev
scientist, designer, founder of practical astronautics

Aluminum – silvery-white metal, the 13th element of the periodic table. Incredible but true: aluminum is the most abundant metal on Earth, accounting for more than 8% of the total mass of the earth's crust, and it is the third most abundant chemical element on our planet after oxygen and silicon.

However, aluminum is not found in nature in its pure form due to its high chemical reactivity. That's why we learned about it relatively recently. Aluminum was formally produced only in 1824, and another half a century passed before its industrial production began.

Most often in nature, aluminum is found in the composition alum. These are minerals that combine two salts of sulfuric acid: one based on an alkali metal (lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium or cesium), and the other based on a metal of the third group of the periodic table, mainly aluminum.

Alum is still used today in water purification, cooking, medicine, cosmetology, chemical and other industries. By the way, aluminum got its name thanks to alum, which in Latin was called alumen.

Corundum

Rubies, sapphires, emeralds and aquamarine are aluminum minerals.
The first two belong to corundum - this is aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3) in crystalline form. It has natural transparency and is second only to diamonds in strength. Bulletproof glass, airplane windows, and smartphone screens are made using sapphire.
And one of the less valuable corundum minerals, emery, is used as an abrasive material, including to create sandpaper.

Today, almost 300 different aluminum compounds and minerals are known - from feldspar, which is the main rock-forming mineral on Earth, to ruby, sapphire or emerald, which are no longer so common.

Hans Christian Oersted(1777–1851) – Danish physicist, honorary member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1830). Born in the city of Rudkörbing in the family of a pharmacist. In 1797 he graduated from the University of Copenhagen, in 1806 he became a professor.

But no matter how common aluminum was, its discovery became possible only when scientists had a new tool at their disposal that made it possible to break down complex substances into simpler ones - electricity.

And in 1824, using the process of electrolysis, the Danish physicist Hans Christian Oersted obtained aluminum. It was contaminated with impurities of potassium and mercury involved in chemical reactions, but this was the first time aluminum was produced.

Using electrolysis, aluminum is still produced today.

The raw material for aluminum production today is another aluminum ore common in nature - bauxite. This is a clayey rock consisting of various modifications of aluminum hydroxide with an admixture of oxides of iron, silicon, titanium, sulfur, gallium, chromium, vanadium, carbonate salts of calcium, iron and magnesium - almost half of the periodic table. On average, 1 ton of aluminum is produced from 4-5 tons of bauxite.

Bauxite

Bauxite was discovered by geologist Pierre Berthier in the south of France in 1821. The breed got its name after the area of ​​Les Baux where it was found. About 90% of the world's bauxite reserves are concentrated in countries of the tropical and subtropical zones - Guinea, Australia, Vietnam, Brazil, India and Jamaica.

From bauxite it is obtained alumina. This is aluminum oxide Al 2 O 3, which has the form of a white powder and from which metal is produced by electrolysis in aluminum smelters.

Aluminum production requires huge amounts of electricity. To produce one ton of metal, about 15 MWh of energy is required - this is how much a 100-apartment building consumes for a whole month. Therefore, it makes the most sense to build aluminum smelters close to powerful and renewable energy sources. The most optimal solution is hydroelectric power stations, representing the most powerful of all types of “green energy”.

Properties of aluminum

Aluminum has a rare combination of valuable properties. This is one of the lightest metals in nature: it is almost three times lighter than iron, but at the same time it is strong, extremely ductile and not subject to corrosion, since its surface is always covered with a thin, but very durable oxide film. It is not magnetic, conducts electricity well, and forms alloys with almost all metals.

Easy

Three times lighter than iron

Lasting

Comparable in strength to steel

Plastic

Suitable for all types of mechanical processing

No corrosion

Thin oxide film protects against corrosion

Aluminum is easily processed by pressure, both hot and cold. It can be rolled, drawn, stamped. Aluminum does not burn, does not require special painting and is non-toxic, unlike plastic.

The malleability of aluminum is very high: sheets with a thickness of only 4 microns and the thinnest wire can be made from it. And ultra-thin aluminum foil is three times thinner than a human hair. In addition, compared to other metals and materials, it is more economical.

The high ability to form compounds with various chemical elements has given rise to many aluminum alloys. Even a small proportion of impurities significantly changes the characteristics of the metal and opens up new areas for its application. For example, the combination of aluminum with silicon and magnesium can be found literally on the road in everyday life - in the form of alloy wheels, engines, chassis elements and other parts of a modern car. And if you add zinc to the aluminum alloy, then perhaps you are holding it in your hands now, because this alloy is used in the production of cases for mobile phones and tablets. Meanwhile, scientists continue to invent new aluminum alloys.
Aluminum reserves
About 75% of the aluminum produced throughout the industry's existence is still in use today.

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