The properties of aluminum, in comparison to other metals, make it the most popular choice for large-scale manufacturing of consumer goods; in the manufacture of transportation machinery and electronics; and for products widely used in building and construction.

It's lightweight, it's easy to manipulate, and it's cheap and abundantly available. It's strong, resilient, non-toxic - and it conducts heat and electricity well. It doesn't corrode easily; it's reflective and nonmagnetic. The combination of these properties yields a multipurpose material that is used and reused - it's recyclable too - in applications that surround us and facilitate our lives.

Alumina is the most abundant metallic element in the earth crust. Alumina is produced from bauxite, which is formed from the decomposition of rocks. The electrolytic process to produce aluminum was developed in the late 1800s and was largely responsible for the industrial revolution. Very simply, aluminum has revolutionized the way we live our lives.