Uses of Aluminum in Everyday Life

What are the uses of aluminum in everyday life?

1. Vehicles
2. Food packaging
3. Construction
4. Furniture and kitchen items
5. Electrical power lines and cables

When it comes to aluminum, manufacturers in the Philippines heavily rely on the amazing properties of the material for various products that they offer. Aluminum has endless industrial applications. It is used in the aerospace, pharmaceutical, consumer electronics, and energy industries, just to name a few. But in many ways, aluminum has also opened up new dimensions to simplify and enhance people’s quality of life. People use aluminum every day and don’t even realize it. Here we discuss the uses of aluminum in everyday life.

What Is Aluminum?

Aluminum is a silvery-white metal that comprises about 8% of the earth’s crust, making it the most abundant metal. Aluminum is prized for being lightweight ductile, durable, electrical, and thermally conductive. It also forms a protective oxide layer, which withstands corrosion. In addition, aluminum can also be 100% recycled without compromising its natural properties. With all these properties, other metals cannot compare to the diverse uses of aluminum.

Vehicles

There’s no doubt that in today’s world, all types of vehicles are needed to get from one place to another. The high strength-to-weight ratio of aluminum makes it ideal for vehicles such as trains, motor vehicles, and ships. In vehicles, aluminum is utilized for framing, body lamps, transmission, chassis, brakes, wheels, condenser and pipes, engine parts, electrical wiring, and other parts.

Increasing priority is being given today to reducing the energy and CO2 emissions of vehicles. In this respect, aluminum provides overwhelming advantages. Vehicles can save on fuel because aluminum is lightweight. When used for vehicle parts, it takes less energy to accelerate. The fuel economy improvement of aluminum results in less CO2 emission in comparison to steel as well.

Crucial vehicle parts such as the suspension and brake pad are susceptible to corrosion. Thus, aluminum’s corrosion resistance makes it critical for vehicle safety on the road too.

Aluminum is not only used for land and sea vehicles but also aircraft. What makes aluminum the perfect material for manufacturing aircraft is its high strength, resistance to corrosion, and most of all, its lightweight.

While some may say that iron and steel are more durable than aluminum, durability alone is not enough for use in aircraft manufacturing. Both these metals are heavier than aluminum. Too much weight inhibits an aircraft’s ability to take off. Today, 80% of aircraft parts are made up of aluminum.

Food Packaging

Aluminum is widely used for packaging anything from sandwiches to sodas. What makes aluminum ideal for packaging is the fact that it is lightweight and able to be easily formed into any shape. For example, aluminum can be formed into foils.

Aluminum foils are very thin sheets that are used to wrap food and serve as a barrier from moisture, oxygen, and other gasses — all of these can impact food taste and quality.

Aluminum is also a food-grade material used for creating cooking surfaces such as baking trays, pots, and pans. Some other key advantages of aluminum are its temperature tolerance, recyclability, corrosion resistance, and low cost.

Construction

Aluminum manufacturers in the Philippines like AMC Aluminum can attest to the fact that aluminum is a necessary material for construction due to its malleability. Aluminum can be formed into cladding, beams, sections, window framing, panels, and roofing materials. Today, bridges, domes, and sports stadiums are built using aluminum.

Since aluminum does not suffer from the deterioration that impacts wood and steel, it becomes ideal for construction work. Its high strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance ultimately lead to the best cost savings during construction.

Furniture and Kitchen Items

Aluminum can be formed into endless shapes. This is why it is a material used for chairs, lamps, framing, panels, and tables.

In the kitchen, aluminum is also widely used due to being able to conduct heat. It heats and cools down quickly, making it perfect for short-order cooks that need to whip up dishes efficiently.

Aluminum is also non-toxic and resistant to corrosion — factors that are crucial for items with direct contact with food. It is the most hygienic metal choice. Aluminum is also affordable. It is ideal for cooks that are under a budget.

For creating spoons, forks, trays, kettles, toasters, refrigerators, pots, knives, and pans, aluminum is a sturdy material that can last a long time.

Electrical Power Lines and Cables

Aluminum can conduct electricity as well. So, it is used extensively to create high voltage tower power lines and other electric cables. Aluminum holds various advantages over materials like copper and gold when used for electrical applications. It is light, flexible, and economical.

Moreover, the material is easy to weld, resistant to corrosion, and durable. These are needed material properties for electric installations in residences and commercial buildings.

Key Takeaway

Most aluminum manufacturers in the Philippines will no doubt tell you that the uses of aluminum in everyday life are endless. Today, companies like AMC Aluminum use this versatile metal to produce all kinds of products such as aluminum profiles and aluminum accessories.

Looking for aluminum products? Let AMC Aluminum cater to all your aluminum needs. Click here to contact us!