Difference between revisions of "Aluminum"

From Lunarpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
 
(11 intermediate revisions by 4 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
 
{{Element                                                                                                                                                            |
 
{{Element                                                                                                                                                            |
name=Aluminium                                                                                                                                                       |
+
name=Aluminum                                                                                                                                                       |
 
symbol=Al                                                                                                                                                            |
 
symbol=Al                                                                                                                                                            |
 
available=abundant                                                                                                                                                  |
 
available=abundant                                                                                                                                                  |
Line 36: Line 36:
 
cryst=Face centered cubic                                                                                                                                            |
 
cryst=Face centered cubic                                                                                                                                            |
 
}}
 
}}
'''Aluminium''' (In USA '''Aluminum''') is a Poor Metal in group 13.
+
'''Aluminum''' (British usage '''Aluminium''') is a Poor Metal in group 13.
 
It has a Face centered cubic crystalline structure.
 
It has a Face centered cubic crystalline structure.
This element has a stable isotope of 27
+
This [[Periodic Table of the Elements|element]] has a stable isotope of 27
  
 
"Aluminum is a comparatively new industrial metal that has been produced in commercial quantities for just over 100 years.  It weighs about one-third as much as steel or copper; is malleable, ductile, and easily machined and cast; and has excellent corrosion resistance and durability.  Measured either in quantity or value, aluminum's use exceeds that of any other metal except iron, and it is important in virtually all segments of the world economy.  Some of the many uses for aluminum are in transportation (automobiles, airplanes, trucks, railcars, marine vessels, etc.), packaging (cans, foil, etc.), construction (windows, doors, siding, etc), consumer durables (appliances, cooking utensils, etc.), electrical transmission lines, machinery, and many other applications."- USGS Aluminum Statistics and Information. <ref>http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/aluminum/</ref>
 
"Aluminum is a comparatively new industrial metal that has been produced in commercial quantities for just over 100 years.  It weighs about one-third as much as steel or copper; is malleable, ductile, and easily machined and cast; and has excellent corrosion resistance and durability.  Measured either in quantity or value, aluminum's use exceeds that of any other metal except iron, and it is important in virtually all segments of the world economy.  Some of the many uses for aluminum are in transportation (automobiles, airplanes, trucks, railcars, marine vessels, etc.), packaging (cans, foil, etc.), construction (windows, doors, siding, etc), consumer durables (appliances, cooking utensils, etc.), electrical transmission lines, machinery, and many other applications."- USGS Aluminum Statistics and Information. <ref>http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/aluminum/</ref>
  
== Lunar use ==
+
==Lunar use==
  
Given that the Moon lacks of Copper. Aluminium will become the base of all the electronics on the Moon. Other uses will include the construction of structures, solar power systems and relay satellites.
+
Since there is no evidence of any substantial deposits of copper ore on Luna, substitutes for [[electrical conductor|electrical wiring]] will be required. Aluminum makes an excellent substitute, being currently used for this purpose in many terrestrial applications.  Aluminum is also useful in construction of mirrors for solar collection and reflective coatings for spacecraft, as aluminum is an excellent reflector of both visible and infrared light. Aluminum's high thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance make it useful for the production of heat sinks and heat exchangers, and its high strength and low density make it useful for the production of lightweight components for spacecraft, satellites, and lunar structures.
 +
 +
One difficulty in using aluminum on the Moon is its large increase in length with increasing temperature. The large range of day/night temperatures make this particularly important. Aluminum components in a lunar environment would need to be thermally protected to avoid these effects.<ref>http://www.permanent.com/l-minera.htm#aluminum</ref> Another difficulty in the use of aluminum is that aluminum alloys lack a well defined fatigue limit, meaning they will eventually fail from even small stresses given sufficient time. It is for this reason that [[titanium]] is generally favored over aluminum for lightweight load bearing components in terrestrial applications, aluminum being reserved for other, less stressed components.
 +
 +
Aluminum can also be used in locally produced rocket fuel. See [[In-Situ Propellant Production]].  
 +
 +
==Lunar Aluminum Production==
  
"The main disadvantage of aluminium is that it expands and contracts with temperature much more than most common metals, which could be an issue with large exposed structures on the Moon which are exposed to the extreme day/nite temperature variations, or equipment which operates over a wide temperature range." -permanent.com <ref>http://www.permanent.com/l-minera.htm#aluminum</ref>
+
Main article: [[Lunar Aluminum Production|Lunar Aluminum Production]]
  
== Lunar Aluminium Production ==
+
''<small>''
''<small>
 
Main article: [[Lunar Aluminium Production]]</small>''
 
  
Lunar Aluminium production could use an adaptation of the Hall-Héroult or Deville process.
+
Lunar Aluminum Production could use an adaptation of the Hall-Héroult or Deville process.  Alternatives include ion-sputtering, carbothermal reduction, or an adaptation of the [[FFC Cambridge Process]].
  
Hall-Héroult process in Earth is the electrolysis of molten alumina (bauxite processed in the Bayer process) with cryolite (Sodium hexafluoroaluminate).
+
==See Also==
 
 
It is critical to find fluorine on the moon in order to produce artificial cryolite for the Hall-Heroult process on the moon.
 
 
 
Other options are importing fluorine which would be stringently recycled and an ion-sputtering process to produce aluminium.  Al<sub>2</sub>0<sub>3</sub> and carbon can be processed at high temperatures into Al<sub>4</sub>C<sub>3</sub>.<ref> [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium ''Aluminum'' section ''Production and refinement''] </ref>
 
<ref> [http://www.moonminer.com/Lunar_Aluminum.html ''Lunar Aluminum'' at ''Moondust index''] </ref>  This breaks down into Aluminium and Carbon between 1900 and 2000 centigrade.  Carbon monoxide given off in processing<ref> [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminum_carbide ''Aluminium carbide'' at ''Wikipedia''] </ref> can be recycled into carbon.
 
 
 
 
 
== See Also ==
 
  
 
[[Electrical Conductors]]
 
[[Electrical Conductors]]
  
[[Lunar Aluminium Production]]
+
[[Lunar Aluminium Production|Lunar Aluminum Production]]
  
== References ==  
+
==References==  
<references/>
+
<references />
  
  
Line 79: Line 75:
 
[[Category:Poor Metals ]]
 
[[Category:Poor Metals ]]
 
[[Category:Abundant Elements]]
 
[[Category:Abundant Elements]]
 
 
<!-- Generated by a gamma candidate version of Autostub2 (Test 9) -->
 
<!-- Generated by a gamma candidate version of Autostub2 (Test 9) -->

Latest revision as of 06:57, 20 January 2021

Aluminum
Al
In situ availability: abundant
Necessity: useful
Atomic number: 13
Atomic mass: 26.981538
group: 13
period: 3
normal phase: Solid
series: Poor Metals
density: 2.70 g/cm3
melting point: 933.47K,
660.32°C,
1220.58°F
boiling point: 2792K,
2519°C,
4566°F
N/ABC
Mg ← Al → Si
ZnGaGe
Atomic radius (pm): 125
Bohr radius (pm): 118
Covalent radius (pm): 118
Van der Waals radius (pm):
ionic radius (pm): (+3) 54
1st ion potential (eV): 5.99
Electron Configuration
1s2
2s2 2p6
3s2 3p1
Electrons Per Shell
2, 8, 3
Electronegativity: 1.61
Electron Affinity: 0.44
Oxidation states: 3
Magnetism: Paramagnetic
Crystal structure: Face centered cubic

Aluminum (British usage Aluminium) is a Poor Metal in group 13. It has a Face centered cubic crystalline structure. This element has a stable isotope of 27

"Aluminum is a comparatively new industrial metal that has been produced in commercial quantities for just over 100 years. It weighs about one-third as much as steel or copper; is malleable, ductile, and easily machined and cast; and has excellent corrosion resistance and durability. Measured either in quantity or value, aluminum's use exceeds that of any other metal except iron, and it is important in virtually all segments of the world economy. Some of the many uses for aluminum are in transportation (automobiles, airplanes, trucks, railcars, marine vessels, etc.), packaging (cans, foil, etc.), construction (windows, doors, siding, etc), consumer durables (appliances, cooking utensils, etc.), electrical transmission lines, machinery, and many other applications."- USGS Aluminum Statistics and Information. [1]

Lunar use

Since there is no evidence of any substantial deposits of copper ore on Luna, substitutes for electrical wiring will be required. Aluminum makes an excellent substitute, being currently used for this purpose in many terrestrial applications. Aluminum is also useful in construction of mirrors for solar collection and reflective coatings for spacecraft, as aluminum is an excellent reflector of both visible and infrared light. Aluminum's high thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance make it useful for the production of heat sinks and heat exchangers, and its high strength and low density make it useful for the production of lightweight components for spacecraft, satellites, and lunar structures.

One difficulty in using aluminum on the Moon is its large increase in length with increasing temperature. The large range of day/night temperatures make this particularly important. Aluminum components in a lunar environment would need to be thermally protected to avoid these effects.[2] Another difficulty in the use of aluminum is that aluminum alloys lack a well defined fatigue limit, meaning they will eventually fail from even small stresses given sufficient time. It is for this reason that titanium is generally favored over aluminum for lightweight load bearing components in terrestrial applications, aluminum being reserved for other, less stressed components.

Aluminum can also be used in locally produced rocket fuel. See In-Situ Propellant Production.

Lunar Aluminum Production

Main article: Lunar Aluminum Production

Lunar Aluminum Production could use an adaptation of the Hall-Héroult or Deville process. Alternatives include ion-sputtering, carbothermal reduction, or an adaptation of the FFC Cambridge Process.

See Also

Electrical Conductors

Lunar Aluminum Production

References



This article is an automatically generated stub. As such it may contain serious errors.
You can help Lunarpedia by expanding or correcting it.