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| Alloy |
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A substance with metallic properties, composed of two or more chemical elements of which at least one is metal. More specifically, aluminum plus one or more other elements produced to have certain specific, desirable characteristics.
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| Alumina |
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Aluminum oxide produced from bauxite by an intricate chemical process. It is a white powdery material that looks like granulated sugar. Alumina is an intermediate step in the production of aluminum from bauxite and is also a valuable chemical on its own.
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| Aluminum foil |
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A flat-rolled product, rectangular in cross section, of thickness from 0.006" to 0.00025".
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| Aluminum plate |
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A flat-rolled product, rectangular in cross section, of thickness less than 0.250" and with sheared or sawed edges.
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| Aluminum sheet |
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A rolled product, flat or coiled, rectangular in cross section, with thickness less than 0.250" but not less than 0.006" and with slit, sheared or sawed edges.
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| Anodizing |
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An electrochemical process for applying a protective or decorative coating to metal surfaces.
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| Bauxite |
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An ore from which alumina is extracted and from which aluminum is eventually smelted. Bauxite usually contains at least 45% alumina. About four pounds of bauxite are required to product one pound of aluminum.
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| Brazing |
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Joining metals by flowing a thin layer of molten, nonferrous filler metal into the space between them.
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| Casting |
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The process of forming molten metal into a particular shape by pouring it into a mold and letting it harden. |
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| Cold mill |
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The equipment on which aluminum is rolled into sheet or foil by passing it through pairs of rollers under pressure. In cold rolling, the incoming metal is normally at room temperature.
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| Continous casting |
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A means of casting aluminum in which an ingot, billet, tube or other shape is continuously solidified and withdrawn while the molten metal is being poured, so that its length is not determined by mold dimensions.
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| Cryolite |
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A white mineral used in making aluminum.
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| Extrusion |
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The process of shaping material by forcing it to flow through a shaped opening in a die. |
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| Fabricate |
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To work a material into a finished state by machining, forming or joining.
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| Flat-rolled products |
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Aluminum plate, sheet or foil products made by passing ingot through pairs of rolls. By moving the rolls closer together and passing the ingot between them, the thickness is reduced and the length is increased.
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| Ingot |
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A cast form suitable for remelting or fabricating.
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| London Metal Exchange (LME) |
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The international trading body that facilitates the worldwide open market buying and selling of metals.
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| Magnesium |
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A light, silvery, moderately hard metallic element used in processing metals and chemicals, and in alloying aluminum to give it desired metallurgical properties.
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| Metric ton (mt) |
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A unit of mass and weight equal to 1,000 kilograms, or 2,204.6 pounds.
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| Mill products |
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Metal that has been fabricated into an intermediate form before being made into a finished product. The most common fabricating processes for aluminum are rolling, extruding, forging and casting.
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| Oxidation |
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The act or process of being oxidized. Oxidize - to combine with oxygen. |
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| Smelt |
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To fuse or melt ore in order to extract or refine the metal it contains.
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| Temper |
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The hardness or toughness of a substance.
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