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The Strength of Aluminum
If you’re like many people, when you hear the word “aluminum”, you think of everyday convenience items that, while incredibly useful, don’t exactly convey a high-strength image. And it’s true – aluminum is a highly versatile metal – meaning it can be processed to be thin, lightweight, bendable and even crushable by human hands.
What’s less well-understood is that aluminum can also be some of the toughest stuff on earth. Often, the metal is used in applications where high-strength and durability are the most important considerations – from cars and trucks to building material to military vehicles. You likely trust aluminum to keep you safe and secure dozens of times a day without even knowing it.
Take-Away Facts
The Key to Auto Safety: Automakers are increasingly turning to aluminum as part of the multi-material mix to increase vehicle fuel efficiency while maintaining strength and safety. Every aluminum-intensive vehicle ever crash tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has earned a 5-star safety rating.
High-Strength Aluminum is Everywhere: High-strength aluminum alloys are used in hundreds of everyday applications where strength and durability are essential – from planes to trains, buses to trucks – even some of the world’s tallest skyscrapers.
Extreme Applications: Aluminum is also used by the U.S. military, NASA and others to build vehicles and structures capable of thriving in some of the harshest conditions imaginable.
The Chemistry of Strength: By adding elements like silicon, magnesium and lithium to pure aluminum and through special processing techniques, aluminum can be engineered to be as strong if not stronger than some steel.
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