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Aluminum

26.9815386

Name: Aluminum
Symbol: Al
Atomic number: 13
Atomic weight: 26.9815386
CAS Registry ID: 7429-90-5

Group name: (none)
Period number: 3
Block: p-block
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Description

Aluminum is one of the poor metals that is a silver colored solid in its natural state. Aluminum has an atomic weight of 26.9815386, a melting point of 1220.58 °F, and a boiling point of 4566 °F. Aluminum is the most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust, and it is used for a variety of purposes. Some of the more common uses of aluminum include: as a powder in the composition of paints, pyrotechnics, and thermites, as a solid for construction of transportation vehicles, and in the manufacture of cooking utensils.

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Isolation

Aluminum is a highly reactive metal and so it is not found free in nature. While different isolation processes are possible, only a few are used due to energy costs.

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The largest source for aluminum that is used for large scale commercial isolation is from bauxite. Bauxite is a type of ore that is striped mined because of its large aluminum content. The process which is used to isolate aluminum from bauxite is called the Bayer process. During this process, the bauxite ore is combined with sodium hydroxide and heated under pressure to approximately 392 °F. The result is a solution which contains sodium aluminate and sodium silicate. In the next step of the Bayer process, carbon dioxide is run through the solution resulting in a precipitate of aluminum hydroxide. The aluminum hydroxide is then filtered, washed, and heated to form alumina, (Al2O3). The final step used to separate pure aluminum from alumina is performed by using electrolysis. To minimize the energy that is needed for the electrolysis step, carbon lined steel cells are used as the cathodes and anodes for this reaction.

General
Name	Aluminium
Symbol	Al
Number	13
Chemical series	poor metals
Group	13
Period	3
Block	p
Appearance	silvery
Standard atomic weight	26.9815386123499036(8)?g·mol-1
Electron configuration	[Ne] 3s2 3p1
Electrons per shell	2, 8, 3

Atomic properties
Crystal structure	face centered cubic 0.4032 nm
Oxidation states	3 (amphoteric oxide)
Electronegativity	1.61 (Pauling scale)
Ionization energies	1st: 577.5 kJ·mol-1
(more)	2nd: 1816.7 kJ·mol-1
(more)	3rd: 2744.8 kJ·mol-1
Atomic radius	125 pm
Atomic radius (calc.)	118 pm
Covalent radius	118 pm
Van der Waals radius

Physical properties
Phase	solid
Density (near r.t.)	2.70 g·cm-3
Liquid density at m.p.	2.375 g·cm-3
Melting point	933.47 K (660.32 °C, 1220.58 °F)
Boiling point	2792 K (2519 °C, 4566 °F)
Critical point
Heat of fusion	10.71 kJ·mol-1
Heat of vaporization	294.0 kJ·mol-1
Heat capacity	(25 °C) 24.200 J·mol-1·K-1

Miscellaneous
Magnetic ordering	paramagnetic
Electrical resistivity	(20 °C) 26.50 nΩ·m
Thermal conductivity	(300 K) 237 W·m−1·K−1
Thermal expansion	(25 °C) 23.1 µm·m−1·K−1
Speed of sound (thin rod)	(r.t.) (rolled) 5000 m·s−1
Young's modulus	70 GPa
Shear modulus	26 GPa
Bulk modulus	76 GPa
Poisson ratio	0.35
Mohs hardness	2.75
Vickers hardness	167 MPa
Brinell hardness	245 MPa
CAS registry number	7429-90-5

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Aluminum

Description

Isolation

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