alluminuim alloys

Properties
Aluminum is a soft, lightweight metal normally with a dull gray
appearance caused by a thin layer of oxidation that forms quickly when
the metal is exposed to air. Aluminum oxide has a higher melting point than pure aluminum.
Aluminum is nontoxic (as the metal), nonmagnetic, and nonsparking. It
has a tensile strength of about 49 megapascals (MPa) in a pure state and
400 MPa as an alloy. Aluminum is about one-third as dense as steel or copper; it is malleable, ductile, and easily machined and
cast. It has excellent corrosion resistance and
durability because of the protective oxide layer.
Aluminum is one of
the few metals which retains full silvery reflectance, even in finely
powdered form, which makes it a very important component of silver
paints.
Aluminum's crystal structure is an FCC structure, hence the high
ductility of the pure metal.
Aluminum mirror finish has the highest
reflectance of any metal in the 200–400 nm (UV) and the 3000–10000 nm
(far IR) regions, while in the 400–700 nm visible range it is slightly
outdone by silver and in the 700–3000 (near
IR) by silver, gold, and copper. It is the second-most
malleable metal (after gold) and the sixth-most ductile. Aluminum is a good thermal and electrical conductor. Aluminium is
capable of being a superconductor, with a
superconducting critical temperature of 1.2 Kelvin.
Applications
General
use


A piece of aluminum metal about 15 centimeters long,
with a U.S. cent included for scale.
Whether
measured in terms of quantity or value, the global use of aluminum
exceeds that of any other metal except iron, and it is important in
virtually all segments of the world economy.