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CH1012
ALUMINIUM CHEMISTRY
(i) Aluminium is the
3rd most abundant element in the crust
(after O & Si) at 8.1%
• Al
is the most common metallic element, occurring in aluminosilicates such as micas and feldspars, in bauxite
(Al2O3.nH2O) a hydroxy-oxide
and in cryolite (Na3AlF6).
(ii) Aluminium
is a hard, strong, white metal: although highly active it is resistant to corrosion because a film of oxide is rapidly formed on the surface.
Uses:
Aluminium is widely used as a structural
metal. The properties of light weight,
corrosion resistance and formation of strong alloys make this a useful metal.