Aluminum in Everyday Life: From Sheets to Beverage Cans
From the frame of your car, to the soda can in your refrigerator, aluminum is everywhere in our everyday lives. And as the demand for sustainable materials grows, aluminum continues to play a major role in shaping a greener future.
In this blog post, we’ll be exploring aluminum’s role in modern life and how it supports sustainable manufacturing practices.
Jump to Any Section:
- The Versatility of Aluminum
- Aluminum Sheets and Plates: What’s the Difference?
- Understanding Aluminum Alloys
- Aluminum Panels and Coils: Essential in Construction
- The Aluminum Can: An Everyday Marvel
- Aluminum Fabrication: A Look Behind the Scenes
- Top Aluminum Manufacturers and Suppliers
- The Global Aluminum Supply Chain
- Custom Aluminum Products for Every Industry
- Future Trends in Aluminum Production
The Versatility of Aluminum
Aluminum’s impressive versatility and infinite recyclability make it a great material for everything from consumer goods to large-scale infrastructure. For starters, it’s lightweight–weighing ⅓ the weight of steel–perfect for automotive manufacturers aiming to design lighter weight vehicles.
It’s highly resistant to corrosion and weathering, which is ideal for specific construction applications. Plus, it’s easily transformed into sheets, coils, and plates for various uses. And no matter how many times aluminum is recycled, it never loses its quality or durability.
Aluminum Sheets and Plates: What’s the Difference?
While aluminum sheets and plates may seem similar, their applications differ. Aluminum sheets are thin and lightweight, and often used in roofing, automotive panels, and packaging.
Aluminum plates, on the other hand, are thicker and stronger, ideal for heavy-duty uses like aerospace and industrial machinery.
Both are widely used in industries where strength, flexibility, and low weight are essential.
Understanding Aluminum Alloys
Not all aluminum is created equal. Different alloys are designed to meet specific needs, and by choosing the right alloy, industries can achieve optimal results tailored to their needs.
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- 5182 aluminum alloy: With the highest magnesium content, it’s used for beverage can tabs and ends, automotive internal components, computer and electric applications.
- 5052 aluminum alloy: Known for its excellent corrosion resistance. Popular in marine and construction industries.
- 5754 aluminum alloy: Used for automotive parts.
- 5352 aluminum alloy: Used for food packaging.
Aluminum Panels and Coils: Essential in Construction
In the construction sector, aluminum panels and coils have become essential. Aluminum panels are widely used in building facades, cladding, and interior design because of their combination of strength, durability, and aesthetic appeal. Coils are essential for roofing systems, HVAC units, and siding, where flexibility and weather resistance are critical. Aluminum’s ability to create lightweight, energy-efficient solutions helps architects and builders meet today’s demands for sustainability and innovation in design.
The Aluminum Can: An Everyday Marvel
Few products showcase aluminum’s versatility and sustainability better than the beverage can. Made from thin, strong aluminum sheets, these cans are lightweight, durable, and infinitely recyclable–saving up to 95% of the energy needed to produce new aluminum cans from raw materials. In fact, 75% of all aluminum ever produced is still in use today.
Aluminum Fabrication: A Look Behind the Scenes
The aluminum fabrication process begins with casting and rolling, where raw aluminum is shaped into sheets, coils, or plates. These materials are either cut, shaped, painted, or treated chemically to meet specific design requirements for industries like aerospace, automotive, and construction. Surface treatments enhance aluminum’s durability and appearance. Leading aluminum suppliers provide custom solutions to ensure industries receive materials that meet their exact specifications, driving innovation and efficiency in production.
Top Aluminum Manufacturers and Suppliers
The aluminum industry is constantly innovating thanks to leading manufacturers and suppliers across the globe. Companies like Golden Aluminum are at the forefront of providing sustainable and high-quality aluminum solutions here in the U.S. tailored for diverse industries.
The Global Aluminum Supply Chain
Aluminum is one of many materials that connects industries around the world–starting with mining bauxite, the primary source of aluminum, in countries like Australia, Guinea, and China. Bauxite is then refined into alumina, which is smelted into pure aluminum through energy-intensive processes. From there, aluminum is fabricated into sheets, coils, plates, and custom products to be distributed to manufacturers across industries.
Custom Aluminum Products for Every Industry
Aluminum’s adaptability allows it to meet the demands of industries large and small. And aluminum suppliers can create custom aluminum products to address each industry’s unique challenges with solutions that combine performance and sustainability:
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- Aerospace: Lightweight aluminum plates for aircraft structures.
- Automotive: Panels, frames, body parts, and other exposed and non-exposed components that improve fuel efficiency and reduce vehicle weight.
- Consumer Goods: Custom aluminum products like cookware, appliances, and electronics.
Future Trends in Aluminum Production
Aluminum continues to prove its worth as a sustainable, reliable material, with improvements in recycling processes and energy-efficient production methods becoming more common across the industry.
At Golden Aluminum, we’re dedicated to raising the bar for our sustainability goals, and are excited to upgrade our Fort Lupton facility with the innovative Nexcast® technology. Nexcast® technology is essential in advancing decarbonization within the aluminum industry, significantly reducing carbon emissions, water and energy consumption. These facility upgrades will help us to reduce natural gas consumption, improve process efficiency, and recycle approximately 15% more mixed-grade aluminum scrap.
Conclusion
From aluminum sheets and coils, to beverage cans and aerospace solutions, aluminum is present in so many applications in our modern life. Its versatility, sustainability, and affordability make it a top choice across industries. And as innovation and sustainable practices drive aluminum production forward, its role in our future only grows stronger.
Discover how Golden Aluminum supports sustainable practices and innovative solutions in the aluminum industry. Visit goldenaluminum.com for more information or to connect with a trusted supplier.
