Is Aluminum the Right Metal For Me or Another Type Is Better?

Are you thinking about buying aluminum for a project, a new product, or for manufacturing? Considering other metal alternatives – you’re not alone. Many people don’t necessarily know which metal is best for a given product. Though aluminum has many advantages, if you don’t understand exactly what you’re buying, you may not know how to use it

Metal is easily one of the most versatile building materials we have, used in everything from infrastructure to aluminum pop cans. There are many types, sizes, and grades to pull from. Deciding what metal’s best for your needs, here are a couple of choices that are oftentimes in competition with aluminum.

Why Copper

Copper has extremely high thermal and electrical conductivity, hence why copper in wire form is used for the Internet, phone, and a lot of products requiring conductivity. Copper, compared to aluminum, is preferred in making tubes and pipes. Pure copper is relatively soft and malleable. Once processed, it can be used to conduct heat and electricity in the application which subsequently does not make it ideal for constructions or products where you need heat and electricity to stay away. To this day, copper is used in specific applications of automotive, engineering, architecture, plumbing, air conditioning and refrigeration.

Why Steel

Steel is a highly praised building material, known for being high in strength, versatility, durability, and cost-effectiveness. For years, steel over aluminum was used in roads, railways, appliances, and buildings. Stadiums and skyscrapers are still made from steel as are bridges and airports, usually put together on a steel skeleton. Steel’s also commonly used in bolts, nails, and screws. Unfortunately, a huge drawback of steel is its weight which is where aluminum makes a replacement. More and more, as the types of aluminum have advanced and new alloys have been created, we are seeing aluminum replace steel in many of its traditional applications.

Why Aluminum

Why a lot of people choose aluminum for its versatility, lightweight, and availability. More than 3 billion pounds of aluminum are used every year in US construction. It’s low density, corrosion resistant, and is vital to a number of industries. You’ll find structural components made from aluminum in spaceships and aerospace vehicles, as well as in other areas of transportation. As mentioned, aluminum oftentimes replaces steel in things like roads, railways, infrastructure, appliances, and buildings. Aluminum is so diverse that it can be used for something as tough as rocket ships and trains to a casing for beverage cans or food products.

Which metal is right for me?

There are advantages and disadvantages of each metal, as stated. Aluminum’s our favourite however admittedly, you make choices to go with another metal. There are many different grades, shapes, and sizes of aluminum and other metals, each with its own properties.

Also, there are several aluminum alloys which vary in their properties, hence the unparalleled diversity of aluminum. When in doubt, we strongly suggest evaluating the different aluminum alloys and choosing what’s best for your needs.

Aluminum is used in transportation, construction, electrical work, and consumer goods. Aluminum is so favourable for many industries that consumption and use of aluminum are increasing in major ways across almost every industry. Lastly, it’s fully recyclable which means it can be used again and again, re-processed every time, while losing none of its strength. For ALL these advantages, when in doubt, go aluminum.