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After oxygen and silicon, aluminium is the third most abundant element in the Earth’s crust, and thus the most abundant metal, comprising 7.6 per cent by weight. A thin oxide layer rapidly forms on the surface of pure aluminium as soon as it comes into contact with oxygen in the air and this explains its matt, silver-grey appearance. This impermeable oxide layer renders unalloyed aluminium very corrosion resistant.

In recent years there has been a marked increase in the price of aluminium on the world market.
Thanks to its low density, aluminium finds widespread use in applications where the weight of a vehicle or other form of transport is important. It has also gained importance in vehicle manufacture for the same reason; the high material price, inferior weldability, possible problems with fatigue and deformation on impact – an important consideration when accidents occur – used to be barriers to its use here. With the space frame concept, Audi has found solutions to these problems and now uses large quantities of aluminium.

Aluminium is a good electrical conductor: on a gram-for-gram basis, aluminium is a better conductor of electricity than copper. Aluminium is seldom used because of its complex processing.
In the packaging industry, aluminium is processed into beverage and food cans as well as into aluminium foil and other non-returnable items. In addition, aluminium is also widely used in composites, such as Tetra Packs. Thanks to its high reflectivity, aluminium is used to coat mirrors, for example in scanners, vehicle headlights and reflex cameras. Aluminium mirror layers usually have a surface layer to protect them against corrosion and scratches.

Aluminium is a constituent of food colouring and is used for coating sweets and decorating cakes and high-quality baked products.
Aluminium is one of the few elements available in abundance that does not appear to be used by animals. The reason for this could be that in the beginning, as life first developed in the oceans, aluminium was practically non-existent in solution in seawater and thus could not be used by living organisms as they developed.

Most foodstuffs also contain aluminium as a trace element. With our food we consume about 25 mg of aluminium a day in the form of different salts. If dishes are prepared in aluminium utensils (acidic foodstuffs dissolve aluminium) or stored in aluminium foil, this intake can double or even triple. Aluminium is also added to foodstuffs as micronised metal and above all in the form of aluminosilicates (zeolites).

The production of aluminium is very energy-intensive. It takes 14,000 kWh of electrical energy just to extract a tonne of aluminium.

The test for the presence of aluminium as a salt is to heat the solid and add a few drops of dilute cobalt nitrate solution and then heat again. A blue mass forms if aluminium is present.

Aluminium can be alloyed with many other metals when molten.

The following casting processes are used in aluminium foundries to cast and shape the metal:

• Aluminium sand casting
• Aluminium direct chill casting (dc casting)
• Aluminium die-casting (also called pressure die-casting)
• Aluminium investment casting (precision casting)
• Aluminium chill casting (also called gravity die-casting or permanent mould casting); possibly with a sand core
• Aluminium strip casting
• Aluminium spray compacting

One differentiates between those processes used to produce (almost) finished components (e.g. aluminium sand casting, aluminium die-casting, aluminium investment casting) and those that produce the raw materials for further processing to semi-finished products such as sheet and extruded profiles (e.g. direct chill casting). Spray compacting and strip casting are special processes. Aluminium semi-finished products or aluminium components are made from input stock such as rolling ingots, sheet or circles by forming:

• Aluminium extrusion
• Aluminium rolling
• Aluminium forging
• Aluminium impact extrusion
• Aluminium deep drawing
• Aluminium roll forming

Aluminium can only be ground using special grinding wheels.

Aluminium has the following properties:

• Aluminium is a very good conductor of electric current
• Aluminium is very light
• Aluminium can easily be welded
• Aluminium is corrosion resistant
• Aluminium is cheap
• Aluminium forms a protective oxide layer
• Aluminium is a good conductor of heat
• Aluminium can be used in a wide variety of ways, e.g. aluminium is used in packaging.
• Aluminium is healthy.