Fun Facts About Aluminum

At our aluminum foundry, we learn all kinds of interesting things about this metal. We would love to share some fun facts about aluminum today.

Compared to Other Commercial Metals, Aluminum is a Whippersnapper

Both the discovery and commercial application of aluminum occurred in the 1800s, making aluminum one of the youngest commercial metals on the market.

In the 1850s, Aluminum was Expensive

During the mid-1800s, aluminum was an expensive metal to produce, so people considered it to be a precious metal, with aluminum actually almost twice as valuable as gold. In fact, Napoleon III gave his most important dinner guests aluminum cutlery, leaving his less important guests at the table stuck with plain old gold cutlery. Parisians even fashioned jewelry out of aluminum!

The Top of the Washington Monument Features an Aluminum Capstone

In 1884, an aluminum tip was placed on top of the Washington Monument, with the latin word inscribed on the aluminum which translates into “Praise be to God.” At the time, aluminum was still considered to be a precious metal worldwide.

The Moon Houses Large Amounts of Aluminum

Large quantities of aluminum are found in the moon’s soil, and scientists debate the possibility of harvesting aluminum from the moon.

Recycling Aluminum is a No Brainer

Recycling aluminum only uses 5 percent of the energy required to extract new aluminum from ore, according to the EPA. In fact, simply recycling one beer can saves enough energy to burn a 100-watt bulb for about four hours! Are you recycling your aluminum cans?

Would you like to learn more about our aluminum foundry and our aluminum casting process? Contact our metal foundry today!