Key facts

Aluminium was discovered in 1825 by the Danish physicist Hans Christian Ørsted.
The term originates from the Latin word alumen (alum).
Aluminium is the third most abundant element and the most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust.
In 1827, the German chemist Friedrich Wöhler managed to extract pure aluminium powder that was more expensive than gold at the time.
The aluminium form we know today has been extracted since as late as the mid-1800s.
In addition to the primary form of extracting aluminium from bauxite, plenty of aluminium is also extracted from recycled aluminium waste.
Aluminium is easy to form and highly manageable.

Prominent aluminium properties:

It is a white-silver, shining metal.
It is a non-magnetic and soft metal.
As opposed to the majority of metals, aluminium has low density – it is light.
It conducts heat and electricity well.
It is malleable, and can be rolled out into very thin foils.
It is non-toxic.
It is resistant to many acids, but not to sea water and lye.
If it is pure, it is not very strong; its mechanical strength is enhanced by casting it with other metals.