Aluminium compounds form 8 per cent of the earth's crust and are present in most rocks, vegetation and animals. Indeed aluminium is the third most common crustal element and most common crustal metal on earth. Pure aluminium is a soft lightweight metal. Mixed with small, often minute, quantities of other materials iron, silicon, zinc, copper, magnesium, tin, titanium, lithium, chromium, tungsten, manganese, nickel, zirconium and boron - it is possible to produce an array of alloys with specific properties for very different purposes. It is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity.
Polished aluminium has the highest reflectivity of any material - even mirror glass.
It can be cast, rolled or extruded into an infinite variety of shapes. It has unique barrier properties as a packaging material, it resists corrosion and it can be recycled again and again and again, with no loss of quality or properties. Aluminium ore, most commonly bauxite, is plentiful and occurs mainly in tropical and sub-tropical areas Africa, West Indies, South America and Australia. There are also some deposits in Europe. Primary aluminium production facilities are located all over the world, often in areas where there are abundant supplies of inexpensive energy, such as hydro-electric power.