Aluminum information, including Technical Data, Safety Data and its high purity properties, research, applications and other useful facts are discussed below. Scientific facts such as the atomic structure, ionization energy, abundance on Earth, conductivity and thermal properties are included.
Aluminum is a silvery-white metal that possesses many desirable characteristics. It is light, nonmagnetic and nonsparking. It stands second among metals in the scale of malleability, and sixth in ductility. It is extensively used in many industrial applications where a strong, light, easily constructed material is needed. Although it's electrical conductivity is only about 60% that of copper, it is used in electrical transmission lines because of its light weight. Pure aluminum is soft and lacks strength, but alloyed with small amounts of copper , magnesium , silicon , manganese , or other elements impart a variety of useful properties. These alloys are of vital importance in the construction of modern aircraft and rockets. Aluminum, evaporated in a vacuum, forms a highly reflective coating for both visible light and radiant heat. They are used to coat telescope mirrors. Aluminum is available as metal and compounds with purities from 99% to 99.9999% (ACS grade to ultra-high purity); metals in the form of foil, sputtering target, and rod, and compounds as submicron and nanopowder. Aluminum facts, including appearance, CAS #, and molecular formula and safety data, research and properties are
Oxides are available in forms including powders and dense pellets for such uses as optical coating and thin film applications. Oxides tend to be insoluble. Fluorides are another insoluble form for uses in which oxygen is undesirable such as metallurgy, chemical and physical vapor deposition and in some optical coatings. Aluminum is available in soluble forms including chlorides, nitrates and acetates. These compounds are also manufactured as solutions at specified stoichiometries. Aluminum is a Block P, Group 13, Period 3 element. The electronic configuration is [Ne] 3s2 3p1. In its elemental form aluminum's CAS number is 7429-90-5. The aluminum atom has a radius of 143.2.pm and it's Van der Waals radius is 200.pm.All elemental metals, compounds and solutions may be synthesized in ultra high purity (e.g. 99.999%) for laboratory standards, advanced electronic, metallurgy and optical materials and other high technology advantages. Information is provided for stable (non-radioactive) isotopes. Organo-Metallic Aluminum compounds are soluble in organic or non-aqueous solvents. See Analytical Services for information on available certified chemical and physical analysis techniques including MS-ICP, X-Ray Diffraction, PSD and Surface Area (BET) analysis. Aluminum was first synthesized by Hans Christian Oersted in 1825, but its discovery was initially made by an Englishman, Sir Humphrey Davy, who also named the metal for alumina, the mineral from which he was attempting to refine it, in 1812- the year he was knighted.
Abundance. The following table shows the abundance of aluminum and each of its naturally occurring isotopes on Earth along with the atomic mass for each isotope. |
Aluminium 
Aluminium 
Alluminio 
Alumínio 
Aluminio 
Aluminium Isotope |
Atomic Mass |
% Abundance on Earth |
Al-27 |
26.9815384 |
100 |
Safety Data. The safety data for aluminum metal, nanoparticles and its compounds can vary widely depending on the form. For potential hazard information, toxicity, and road, sea and air transportation limitations, such as DOT Hazard Class, DOT Number, EU Number, NFPA Health rating and RTECS Class, please see the specific material or compound referenced in the left margin.
Ionization Energy. The ionization energy for aluminum (the least required energy to release a single electron from the atom in it's ground state in the gas phase) is stated in the following table: |
1st Ionization Energy |
577.54 kJ mol-1 |
2nd Ionization Energy |
1816.69 kJ mol-1 |
3rd Ionization Energy |
2744.80 kJ mol-1 |
Conductivity. As to aluminum's electrical and thermal conductivity, the electrical conductivity measured as to electrical resistivity @ 20 ºC is 2.65 μΩcm and its electronegativities (or its ability to draw electrons relative to other elements) is 1.61. The thermal conductivity of aluminum is 237 W m-1 K-1.
Thermal Properties. The melting point and boiling point for aluminum are stated below. The following chart sets forth the heat of fusion, heat of vaporization and heat of atomization. |
Heat of Fusion |
10.67 kJ mol-1 |
Heat of Vaporization |
290.8 kJ mol-1 |
Heat of Atomization |
324.01 kJ mol-1 |
| Formula | Atomic Number | Molecular Weight | Electronegativity (Pauling) | Density | Melting Point | Boiling Point |
Vanderwaals radius |
Ionic radius | Energy of first ionization |
| Al | 13 | 26.98154 g.mol -1 | 1.61 | 2.7 g.cm-3 at 20 °C | 660.4 °C | 2467 °C | 200.pm | 0.05 nm | 577.54 kJ.mol-1 |
| PRODUCT CATALOG | U.S. Operations | Submicron & Nanopowder | Tolling | Ultra High Purity | Sputtering Target | Crystal Growth | Rod, Plate, Powder, etc. | Foil |
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