The Aluminium Age 1800s-present

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‘Given that it is the most abundant metal in the earth’s crust, aluminium was always going to play a leading role as an engineering material. The problem has always been that it only rarely occurs naturally in pure metallic form and is locked away chemically in 270 different minerals. Despite the difficulties in extracting aluminium, it is the second most used metal, with global production in 2016 at 58.8 million tonnes (iron currently holds the record at 1,232Mt).

Taken for granted today as the material of choice when low-density metals are required – from ‘tin’ foil to aeroplanes, drinks cans to construction, food processing to machinery components – large-scale industrial production didn’t arrive until the late 19th century when the Hall-Héroult process signalled the start of aluminium smelting (bit.ly/ecceng-aluminium). In 1889, Austrian chemist Carl Joseph Bayer discovered a method of purifying bauxite (aluminium’s most common ore) to yield alumina. The Bayer and Hall-Héroult processes remain the basis of aluminium production to this day.

As for the name, ‘aluminium’ was adopted in the early 19th century because the -ium suffix sounded ‘classical’. Most people agreed, except Webster’s dictionary, which listed ‘aluminum’. US journalists adopted that spelling, but the American Chemical Society only followed suit as recently as 1925.’ (Source)

“One more thing I’d like you to offer you,” says Rip. “Here is a picture of bauxite, the mineral form of aluminum. There are two phases to producing aluminum.”