To date, almost all metals and their alloys known to man have found practical application. Each of them has its own specific features, which determine the scope of their use in various industries. The most widespread are iron and various compounds based on it, as well as aluminum and its alloys. This can be explained, first of all, by large natural reserves, as well as excellent chemical, physical and mechanical characteristics.
A bit of history
According to the ancient legend described in the treatise "Natural History" by Gaius Pliny the Elder, compiled around 77 AD, once an unfamiliar master approached the emperor of Rome Tiberius and made him a gift in the form of a bowl of silver and very light metal. When Tiberius asked him what he made it from, he replied that it was clay. Surprised, the emperor ordered the death of an innocent artisan and the destruction of his workshop so that this invention would not lead to the depreciation of the metals of the Roman treasury. Too bad he couldn't at the time.evaluate all the prospects of discovery, because aluminum and its alloys made a real breakthrough in the future.
Why is aluminum and its alloys so popular?
The content of aluminum in the earth's crust is approximately 8.8%, and therefore it leads the list of the most common metals. Its advantages include low density (2.7 g/cm3), excellent corrosion resistance, manufacturability, good electrical and thermal conductivity, and rather high strength characteristics. Aluminum and its alloys are widely used in aviation, shipbuilding, railway transport, automotive, construction, chemical and oil industries, etc. Aluminum alloys are characterized by ductility, ductility, high processing speed. All this gives an excellent opportunity to use them in almost any kind of production.
Basic aluminum alloys
By combining aluminum with alloying additives, you can achieve greater strength and improve other properties of this metal. Silicon, copper, manganese, zinc and magnesium are most often used as additives. Consider the main alloys.
Duralumin (duralumin, or just duralumin)
The name of this compound comes from the word Düren - that was the name of the German city in which in 1911. began to produce this alloy on an industrial scale. It is obtained by adding copper (2.2 - 5.2%), magnesium (0.2 - 2.7%) and manganese (0.2 - 0.1%) to aluminum. After heat treatment, the metal becomes very durable(static strength reaches 450-500 MPa). In order to increase the corrosion resistance, it is often clad with aluminum. Used as a structural material in transport and aviation engineering.
Magnalia
These are various alloys of aluminum with magnesium and other elements (magnesium content - 1-13%). They are characterized by high ductility, good weldability and corrosion resistance. Used to make shaped castings, wire, sheets, rivets, etc.
Silumin
This compound is obtained by combining aluminum with silicon (silicon content - 4-13%). Sometimes other additives are added to it: Be, Ti, Zn, Mg, Mn, Cu. This alloy is used for the production of parts of complex design, mainly in the aircraft and automotive industries.
Aluminum and its alloys will serve for the benefit of humanity for a long time to come. Proof of this is a new invention - aluminum foam or, as it is also called, "metal foam". Many experts believe that porous aluminum has excellent prospects.
