Good Things About the Element Aluminum

Aluminum Is Abundant and Easy to Produce

• One of the best things about aluminum is that it exists in abundance, making up more than 8 percent of the Earth's crust by weight, according to the Encyclopedia of Earth. Although aluminum doesn't occur naturally in its elemental form, it is easy to extract from its earthy bauxite ore. Australia, China, Brazil, Guinea, Vietnam and several other countries contain bauxite reserves large enough to supply the world's aluminum demands for centuries. More than 99 percent of the world's aluminum is derived from bauxite through the "Hall-Héroult" methods, which are simple and cost-effective processes developed in the 1880s and still used to this day.

Aluminum Is Versatile

• Aluminum has several desirable properties that make its application vital to many industries. Aluminum's impressive strength-to-weight ratio, particularly when alloyed with very small amounts of silicon and iron, make it an excellent construction material. Aluminum even becomes stronger as temperatures drop, a property greatly in its favor when it comes to cold-weather applications. It is corrosion-resistant because its naturally occurring oxide serves as a protective film. It is also widely used in high-voltage power lines because of its ductility, good electrical conductivity and non-magnetic properties. Aluminum is used in the production of a wide variety of products, from automobiles and cooking utensils to paints and antiperspirants.

Aluminum Is Non-Toxic and Environmentally Friendly

• Aluminum has no aroma and is safe for most consumers, leading to its widespread use in the manufacture of cooking and eating utensils as well as for food packaging. It is generally considered harmless to plants and animals. A small percentage of people are highly sensitive to it, suffering contact dermatitis upon use of astringents and antiperspirants containing aluminum.

Aluminum Is Sustainable and Infinitely Recyclable

• Although the worldwide supply of aluminum is abundant, it is not inexhaustible; however, one of the biggest benefits to using aluminum is that it may be recycled cheaply and repeatedly without compromising its superior characteristics, thus giving it a "high scrap value," according to Futura Industries. Any aluminum product may be recycled -- from soda cans and auto parts to gutters and lawn furniture. As of 2011, around $40 billion worth of recycled aluminum is produced yearly.