Aluminum Suppliers

About Aluminum Suppliers and Aluminum Supply Including: Aluminum, Aluminum Pipe, Aluminum Plate, Aluminum Sheet, Aluminum Tubing & Aluminum Wire.

Aluminum suppliers have many options when it comes to this silvery-white metal that is abundant in the Earth’s crust. Because of its attractive properties, the applications are numerous. In its pure form, aluminum is soft and very easy to mold into a desired shape, but aluminum alloys, when combined with such elements as copper, iron, zinc, silicon and magnesium, are very strong and durable. Even in extremely cold environments where other metals become brittle, aluminum alloys remain strong. Aluminum is also light, approximately one-third the weight of steel, as well as non-toxic and non-magnetic. This metal is an excellent corrosion resister and conductor of heat and electricity. These properties can be changed as needed through heat treatment or mechanical working.

As far as aluminum supply, the element is plentiful in the earth’s crust, but the metal is never found naturally in the pure state. Aluminum is commonly extracted from bauxite ore. Through the Bayer process, aluminum is separated from the other elements in bauxite ore to produce alumina, a white powder that is essentially aluminum oxide. Further processing through smelting can then be done to purify the aluminum to 99.97%. Aluminum is the most commonly recycled metal. Anything aluminum can be recycled repeatedly, so even scrap aluminum has a high value. Aluminum cans, foil and plates can all be recycled, and the process is so efficient that aluminum cans are able to reappear on shelves after only 6 to 8 weeks. In fact, aluminum is the only packaging material that more than covers the recycling cost of collection and processing.

Many methods exist to process aluminum. Aluminum suppliers can produce aluminum foil, sheet and plate, using rolling. During the rolling process, the aluminum becomes less brittle and more ductile. Rolling is also capable of creating very thin product, about the size of a human hair. In the extrusion method, aluminum billets are heated and pushed through a metal die under great pressure to create shapes. Further fabrication of the aluminum supply can be done upon completion, such as cutting to length, drilling and machining. Forgings are created by hammering, pounding or squeezing the aluminum into parts. Casting involves two methods, either sand casting, in which a temporary sand mold is created to make a part, or die casting, where the mold is permanent, usually cast iron or steel. This is the most widely used method of aluminum forming, and it involves pouring molten aluminum directly into the mold. Aluminum supply can also be bent, made into a powder, joined by welding or milled, depending on the desired product.

Aluminum suppliers offer the metal for a number of uses. Extruded aluminum can be used in the construction industry as window and door frames, roofing and curtain walling as well as prefabricated structures. Products for the transportation and marine industries are also common. Aluminum plate is used as armor protection for military vehicles, while foil is useful in containers, wrapping and building insulation. Aluminum sheet provides siding and roofing for houses as well as body panels for automobiles, airplanes and boat hulls. Because of their light weight, good appearance and corrosion resistance, cast aluminum parts are often used for engineering and architectural components, office and home products and components for vehicles, spacecrafts and ships. Additionally, aluminum conducts electricity almost as well as copper, and therefore can be found in overhead power lines and transport cables. In automobiles, aluminum is advantageous because it absorbs shock well and does not rust. Plus, its light weight makes the vehicle more fuel efficient and reduces road wear.

Aluminum Suppliers and Aluminum Supply Images Provided by Yarde MetalsTM, Inc.

Aluminum Suppliers and Aluminum Supply Images Provided by Trans World Alloys

Types of Aluminum

• Aluminum is a metallic element with the atomic number 13.
  
• Aluminum bars and aluminum rods are solid, straight uniform products of aluminum that can be extruded. These products can have cross-sections in a variety of shapes, from circular to triangular, square and more.
  
• Aluminum coil and aluminum wire are aluminum products with uniform cross-sections, available in several shapes. Products are most often supplied in coil form.
  
• Aluminum foil is formed by rolling, and is generally less than .2 mm thick. Aluminum foil is generally used in the packaging industry as well as in electrical applications.
  
• Aluminum pipe is a tube made out of aluminum.
  
• Aluminum plate consists of rolled aluminum with a thickness greater than 6 mm. Plate is used as a component in bridges and buildings.
  
• Aluminum powder is used in paints, explosives and chemical applications.
  
• Aluminum profiles are extruded products of a uniform cross-section that are most often straight in length but can also be coiled.
  
• Aluminum sheet is formed from the rolling process, with a thickness of between .2 mm and 6 mm. Aluminum sheet is used in the construction and transport industries.
  
• Aluminum strip is a long sheet of metal with a length many times its width.
  
• Aluminum tubing is a hollow aluminum product.
  
• Aluminum wire is wire made of aluminum.