Below is a list of Aluminum manufacturers from Chicago, Illinois. Aluminum is a very common and useful metal because of its light weight, resistance to corrosion and its ability to withstand very low temperatures. Refined from bauxite via the Bayer process, it is non-toxic, non-magnetic and a good conductor of electricity. In its pure form, aluminum is very soft and pliable, but aluminum alloys, when combined with such elements as copper, iron, zinc, silicon and magnesium, are very strong and durable.