Aluminium encyclopaedia
Weber’s ‘Aluminium Pocket Encyclopaedia’ contains the most important technical terms used in the aluminium industry and provides interesting information about aluminium, from A for Alloys through to Z for Zeppelin. It is intended to provide an introduction to the metal.
Aluminium is often used in air conditioning technology, for example as radiators, air ducts, thermal insulation and heat exchangers.
For the foreseeable future, over 60 per cent of the body and wings of aircraft will still be made from aluminium; the fraction of conventional alloys will probably decline in favour of newer alloys.
Only a few elements are useful for alloying with aluminium to modify specific properties in a desired manner.
The term "alloy" is used to describe a mixture of a base metal with one or more alloying elements, which can be either metallic or non-metallic (like silicon). The aim is to improve the properties of the base metal, especially its strength and corrosion resistance.
Originally alum only stood for potassium alum: this is potassium aluminium sulphate, a sulphur"oxygen compound. Later one also included all double salts of the same type and crystal structure as potassium alum (salts are chemical compounds of metals and non-metals, double salts contain two metals).
Silvery white, lightweight, corrosion resistant metal that is the most abundant in the Earths crust; also a collective term for all aluminium-based materials.
A large number of chemical compounds contain aluminium: they either occur naturally in large amounts in rocks or are produced synthetically (for example for medication), and are used in numerous industrial processes.
The aluminium industry, which originated in Switzerland, France and the USA in 1888/89, has long since developed into a key industry in industrialised countries. The transfer of aluminium extraction overseas to countries with cheap power generation is now.
Aluminium-containing and aluminium-coloured covering with a high resistance to weathering and high reflectance, therefore used as protective coatings especially on steel.
The aluminothermic process is still used today to prepare metals from their difficult-to-reduce oxides.
The formation of hard, corrosion resistant and adherent layers of aluminium oxides on aluminium components, for example for machine parts and façade cladding.
Aluminium is used in almost all fields of technology and all areas of everyday life.
Aluminium is used as a material in sculpture and architecture as well as a background in painting.