Hindalco is the world's number 1 aluminium rolling company. But what makes aluminium so commonplace and yet critical in today's world?
Aluminium has a fascinating backstory. Traces of the metal have been found in 5000-year-old clay pots from ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Millennia later, the light, strong, and super-flexible metal is used in skyscrapers, cars, airplanes, smartphones, beverage cans, and a whole lot more.
In fact, it's safe to say that this wonder metal first made aviation possible. Intrigued? Here are nine facts about aluminium that make it big in our lives.
Fact 1:
When developing the Wright flyer, the world's first heavier-than-air craft, the Wright brothers used an aluminium engine instead of iron to ensure the right weight-to-power ratio. We don't have to tell you that their idea took right off.
Fact 2:
The Empire State Building, completed in 1931, was the first building to widely use aluminium. Around 730 tons of aluminium and stainless steel went into it.
Fact 3:
Aluminium is infinitely recyclable. In fact, Aditya Birla Group company Novelis recycles over 74 billion cans every year, thus reducing waste in landfill.
Fact 4:
The primary source of aluminium is bauxite, a clay-like material. Pure aluminium is never found in nature due to the metal's tendency to bond easily with oxygen and other elements.
Fact 5:
Pure aluminium is relatively new. German chemist Friedrich Wöhler is credited with devel-oping pure aluminium in the lab, way back in 1845. However American Charles Martin Hall and Frenchman Paul-Louis-Toussaint Héroult developed the technique to electrolyse alumina and extract aluminium cheaply and at scale.
Fact 6:
Hindalco has developed revolutionary aluminium alloys that go into very diverse uses – from window frames to power conductors, from aviation to food packaging, and much more. In fact, Hindalco filed 259 new patents in 2020-21.
Fact 7:
Aluminium and transport go together. Even NASA's Mars rovers, Curiosity and Persever-ance, have wheels made of aluminium. Many other components in the rovers, too, are made out of this hardy silver-like metal.
Fact 8:
Hindalco is the world's most sustainable aluminium company. In 2021, for the second con-secutive year, Hindalco topped the Corporate Sustainability Assessment rankings of the S&P Dow Jones Sustainability Indices.
Fact 9:
Lighter is better when it comes to electric vehicles. In 2019, ABG group company Novelis developed the world's first aluminium sheet battery enclosure for electric vehicles. This en-closure is up to 50% lighter than traditional steel cases, and its newest version delivers up to 40% greater range for the vehicle
Stay tuned for more fascinating facts about your world and our role in making it a better place!
Source: NASA, Novelis, AirandSpace, PBS, Britannica, Mars Nasa, Hindalco annual report 2021