Fact of the Day - Oct 17

Aluminum is the most abundant metal in the earth's crust. Discovered less than 200 years ago, Aluminum occurs in most kinds of rock but most of the aluminum extracted is taken from bauxite. It is one of the lightest metals and a good conductor of heat and electricity. To make it stronger, it is mixed with other metals to make alloys for constructing automobiles, aircraft, and other machines. Because aluminum does not rust, it is easy to melt and reuse. Aluminum can be recycled for less than 5 percent of the cost of making new aluminum. Aluminum can recycling provides over half the aluminum used in making new cans and recycling of all aluminum scrap equals almost half of total aluminum production.