Aluminium in 2000: Light vehicles and recycling

This atlas treats Aluminium as a system: mill route, coatings, tests and the cavity it sits in. Conductivity note: ~237 W/m·K (pure). Insulation score 12/100 is relative to 32 entries — metals lose, VIPs and aerogels win. Fire letter in editorial use: A1 as metal. Do not equate A1 with “safe in a blaze” or E with “illegal”. Assemblies decide.

Origin: Hall–Héroult 1886, USA / France. The process chapter follows feedstock → conversion → forming → finish → install. Uses span aerospace to consumer. Pairings matter: CFRP. Circularity mark 72/100. Ask which scrap, which certificate, which year. Related atlas entries, a short glossary, and three threads that keep Aluminium honest.

Heavier, stiffer, cheaper per kilogram of structure in many buildings. When aluminium’s melting point and corrosion are not enough. The better conductor when volume is allowed. The next mass cut after aluminium in aero and bikes. Solution heat-treat + artificial age. Pure aluminium cladding on a high-strength core.