Aluminum

As one of the world’s leading suppliers of aluminum, we carry a variety of aluminum stock including aluminum sheet, aluminum plate, aluminum tubing, aluminum square tubing and aluminum bar stock, as well as aluminum structural shapes, which include aluminum channel and aluminum angles. In addition to offering stock sizes of these items, we offer custom aluminum extrusions to suit your needs and can process materials to meet your exact specifications, including finishing services such as painting. In short, we deliver fully processed aluminum used in everything from electrical equipment to utility trailers.

In addition to offering stock sizes of these items, we offer custom aluminum extrusions to suit your needs and can process materials to meet your specifications, including finishing services such as painting. In short, we deliver fully processed aluminum used in everything from electrical equipment to utility trailers.

Applications

Lightweight and corrosion resistant, the physical properties of aluminum are critical for the automotive, aerospace, and defense industries. In construction, energy, and technology sectors, aluminum is often selected for its thermal and electrical conductivity.

Because of its unique characteristics and properties, combined with a wide selection of alloys and tempers, aluminum can help reduce costs and improve product performance in many applications.

Characteristics and Properties

Light Weight: The reduced weight of aluminum is very beneficial in transportation equipment where it improves fuel economy and increases payload.

Corrosion Resistance: When aluminum is exposed to atmosphere, a thin layer of aluminum oxide quickly forms. This protects the metal from further corrosion caused by oxygen, moisture and many other chemicals.

Strength: Commercially pure aluminum has a tensile strength of 13 KSI. Through cold working (i.e., rolling) and/or the addition of alloying elements, the strength of aluminum can reach 100 KSI for use in structural applications.

Electrical Conductivity: Aluminum is the only practical alternative to copper as an electrical conductor. It conducts electricity about 62% as well copper at one-third the weight.

Thermal Conductivity: Heat moves quickly through aluminum, which is ideal for exchangers, heat sinks, cooling vanes, plastic injection molds and process vessels.

Light and Heat Reflectivity: Aluminum has wide use in lighting fixtures and portable heaters.

Other Useful Properties: Aluminum is nonmagnetic and can protect electrical equipment from electromagnetic interference. It’s non-sparking when struck, allowing safe use near flammable or explosive material. Aluminum is nontoxic and highly suitable for the preparation and storage of food.

Aluminum Properties

Aluminum has many distinct properties that make it the most widely used non-ferrous metal in the world. In fact, nearly 75% of all aluminum ever produced is still in use today.

Let’s take a quick look at some of its most distinctive characteristics:

Light weight: This is essential when it comes to improving fuel economy and increasing the payload for transportation applications.

Non-corrosive: Perhaps one of the most critical characteristics of aluminum is its resistance to corrosion. The thin layer of aluminum oxide that forms on aluminum protects the material from environmental corrosives that could compromise the metal.

Easily formed: Easily formed, aluminum is a versatile material. 3003 aluminum, for example, is a grade known for its excellent formability.

Highly conductive: This means that heat moves quickly through material, which makes aluminum ideal for exchangers, heat sinks, cooling vanes, plastic injection molds, and process vessels.

Strength: With tensile strength of 13 KSI, commercially pure aluminum exhibits great strength. Cold working methods and/or the addition of alloying elements can increase the strength of aluminum up to 100 KSI, which is ideal for structural applications.

What is aluminum used for?

Beverage cans may be the first thing that many think of when it comes to aluminum, but the metal is prevalent in nearly every application used in society today.

For instance, did you know that your flat-screen TV and even your smartphone contain aluminum? How about the fact that due its lightweight properties, aluminum wire and cable allow utility companies to run transmission lines with fewer supporting structures?

The infinite recyclability of aluminum supports sustainable manufacturing and helps improve energy efficiency for many industries, including:

Automotive Aerospace Transportation Heavy Industrial Marine

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