Aluminium Material

A UNIQUE METAL
Aluminum is the world’s most used non-ferrous base metal. But with its attractive properties and strategic role in the green transition, aluminum is anything but basic. Our sustainable, versatile material allows key sectors to decarbonize and achieve otherwise impossible outcomes through its unique combination of properties and effects. You can find aluminum everywhere: from packaging, consumer durables, and healthcare products to buildings, construction, mobility, aerospace, and energy generation.

Driving the Green Transition
Serving most of the industrial ecosystems, aluminum is a critical component for the greening of our economy. From solar panels, wind turbines and batteries to resource-efficient packaging, e-mobility and sustainable buildings, the road to net-zero is paved with aluminum!

Aluminum production begins with bauxite, a reddish rock that is the primary ''Aluminum ore''. Most bauxite is mined in tropical or subtropical regions. Through the aluminum Stewardship initiative and corporate programs. The aluminum industry takes a proactive stake in contributing to responsible mining that minimizes social and environmental impacts during operation and post-closure of the mine.

To produce primary aluminum, you need alumina. Alumina is extracted from bauxite via a process has two steps: first, the bauxite is dissolved with caustic soda to remove residues and obtain aluminum hydroxide; then, it is heated to remove the water contained in this hydroxide.After the refining process, alumina looks like a white powder similar to table salt.

Molten aluminum is extracted from alumina through a process called smelting. This process is fully electrified and use a powerful electric current to extract pure aluminum from alumina. After this electrolysis, molten aluminum can be collected from the bottom of the pot. This liquid metal is transferred to the cast house, where it is purified, alloyed to specification, and then cast into ingots or billets ready for semi-fabrication.

Aluminum ingot can be rolled into sheets for use in aluminum beverage cans, foil and car bodies, for example. Through extrusion, aluminum billets can be shaped in their required from and deliver almost unlimited possibilities in product design for furniture, building components, or car.

Once aluminum scrap is collected and stored, it is placed into a melting furnace and turned into molten aluminum, which can be cast into new ingots or billets. Depending on customer requirements, alloying elements may be added to produce the desired product specifications. Aluminum can be recycled endlessly without losing its original properties, making it a key contributor to a more resource-sufficient society. furthermore, recycling aluminum only requires about 5% of the energy used to produce primary aluminum, providing huge CO2-saving benefits.


Aluminum's unique benefits

Recyclability

Recyclability

Aluminum can be recycled endlessly with no downgrading of quality, making aluminum a material with permanent properties. Furthermore, the aluminum recycling process requires only about 5% of the energy used to produce primary aluminum - a significant CO2-saving benefit.

Lightness

Lightness

Aluminum is a very light material, with one-third the density of steel. Despite its lightness, it is an extremely strong metal that can provide the same strength relative to weight ratio as advanced steel and titanium.

Corrosion-resistant & highly durable

Corrosion-resistant & highly durable

Aluminum develops a natural oxide layer, protecting it against corrosion and making it virtually maintenance-free. That’s key for both products with very long lifetimes or applications exposed to extreme conditions, such as airplanes!

Impermeability

Impermeability

Aluminum is an excellent barrier against light, odor, and contamination, making it a perfect packaging material.

High conductivity

High conductivity

Aluminum is a great conductor for heat and electricity, enabling energy-efficient systems for electricity transmission.

Easy to work with

Easy to work with

Aluminum is easy to form, join and work with, thanks to its ductility, low melting points, and lightness. It’s basically suitable for any application, in any form.