What Materials Are Used to Make Aluminum Cans?
Aluminum cans are used in all parts of the world. Aluminum cans on end image by Jeffrey Studio from Fotolia.com Aluminum is the most prominent material in the Earth’s crust. It is cheap, easy to refine and easy to handle, making it ideal for large-scale applications such as that in the beverage industry. Aluminum cans can be produced as quickly as 2,400 cans per minute. The production of the aluminum alloy used for cans is carefully controlled in an effort to reduce costs by making the aluminum stronger and more resistant to corrosion. Aluminum The main material in aluminum cans is, of course, aluminum. Aluminum is smelted out of bauxite ore. Much of the aluminum used in the United States is smelted from ore imported from Guinea and Jamaica. Aluminum is lightweight and soft, with about 1/3 the density and strength of steel. It is malleable and ductile, making it ideal for casting and drawing. Manganese Small amounts (about 1 percent by weight) of manganese in aluminum cans helps preven
