Periodic Table

Aluminum

Post Transition Metal

Quick Facts about Aluminum

Mg
  • solid- state of matter at room temperature
  • Stable- has at least one stable isotope
  • +3- common oxidation states in compounds
  • FCC- crystal structure, atomic arrangement in solid form
Si

Aluminum (Al) is element 13 on the periodic table. Atomic mass of Al: 26.9820 u. Al is in period 3, group 13. Melting point of Al: 933.47 K.Density of Al: 2.70 g/cm³.

Why Aluminum Matters

The lightweight metal wrapping your food and flying you across oceans

In Your Home

  • Aluminum foil and beverage cans
  • Cookware and baking sheets
  • Window frames and siding
  • Antacids and antiperspirants

Industry Uses

AerospaceAircraft frames and components (Boeing 737 is 80% aluminum)
AutomotiveEngine blocks, wheels, body panels
PackagingBeverage cans, foil, and food containers
ConstructionWindow frames, roofing, structural components

In Your Body

✗ Not essential

No known biological function. Third most abundant element in Earth's crust but rare in living things. Some concerns about aluminum accumulation in brain.

Safety: Generally low toxicity. High doses may affect nervous system. Linked to dialysis dementia. Aluminum in antiperspirants is controversial but generally considered safe.

Discovery of Aluminum

Discovered by Hans Christian Oersted in Denmark, 1825

Name origin: Latin: alumen, aluminis, (alum).

History & Events

1825
First Isolation
Hans Christian Ørsted produced impure aluminum. Friedrich Wöhler improved the method in 1827.
1886
Hall-Héroult Process
Charles Hall and Paul Héroult independently invented electrolytic production, making aluminum affordable
1903
Wright Flyer
Wright Brothers used aluminum for their engine crankcase—first powered flight

About Aluminum

Silvery-white lustrous metallic element of group 3 of the periodic table. Highly reactive but protected by a thin transparent layer of the oxide which quickly forms in air. There are many alloys of aluminum, as well as a good number of industrial uses. Makes up 8.1% of the Earth's crust, by weight. Isolated in 1825 by H.C. Oersted.

Atomic Properties of Al

Atomic Number of Al
13
Atomic Mass of Al
26.9820 u
Electron Configuration
[Ne] 3s2 3p1
Electronegativity
1.61
Block
p-block
Group
13
Period
3

Physical Properties of Al

Phase (STP)
solid
Melting Point of Al
933.47 K
Boiling Point of Al
2743.00 K
Density of Al
2.7000 g/cm3

Thermal Properties

Heat of Fusion
10.75 kJ/mol
Heat of Vaporization
284.10 kJ/mol
Specific Heat
0.90 J/g·K
Molar Heat Capacity
24.20 J/mol·K
Thermal Conductivity
237.00 W/m·K

Atomic Radii

Calculated
125 pm
Covalent
126 pm
Van der Waals
184 pm
Metallic
125 pm

Common Misconceptions

Wrong:Aluminum causes Alzheimer's disease.
Correct:Despite early studies, no causal link has been established. This is largely considered a myth.
Wrong:Aluminum is rare and valuable.
Correct:Aluminum is extremely abundant (8% of Earth's crust) but was precious before 1886 due to difficult extraction.
Wrong:Aluminum foil has a 'shiny side up' rule.
Correct:Both sides work equally well. The difference is just from manufacturing (rollers).

Isotopes of Aluminum

Aluminum has 1 naturally occurring isotope, plus 1 notable radioactive isotope.

IsotopeAtomic Mass (u)AbundanceHalf-LifeDecay Mode
2613Al (Al-26)Aluminum-26 isotope25.98689170%717,000 yearsβ⁺, EC
2713Al (Al-27)Aluminum-27 isotope26.98153853100.00%

Data source: NIH PubChem (aggregated from IUPAC, NIST)

Isotope Applications

Isotopes of Aluminum have important real-world applications in science and industry.

Geochronology & Dating

26Al is produced from spallation reactions of protons, produced by cosmic rays, on argon. 26Al has been used for dating geological samples, such as marine sediments, manganese nodules, rocks, and meteorites [119], [120]. The abundances of 26Al to 10Be have been used to study erosion and transport of soil and sediments on a thousand- to million-year time scale, because production rates of 26Al to 10Be are greatest at the surface and decrease exponentially with depth (Fig. IUPAC.13.1) [121], [122]. Intense cosmic-ray bombardment in space produces 26Al in meteorites and other bodies, such as the Moon. After a meteorite falls to Earth, 26Al production ceases due to atmospheric shielding; the decay of 26Al to 26Mg has been used to determine the terrestrial age of a meteorite (i.e. the time elapsed since the meteorite fell to Earth) [119].

Abundance

Earth's Crust
82.3 g/kg
Seawater
2.00 μg/kg

Uses

Used for many purposes from airplanes to beverage cans. Too soft in its pure form so less than 1% of silicon or iron is added, which hardens and strengthens it.

Sources

Never occurs in free form. Obtained by electrolysis from bauxite (Al2O3).

Geochemistry

Goldschmidt
litophile
Geochemical Class
major

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