General use

Aluminium is the most widely used non-ferrous metal.[32] Global production of aluminium in 2005 was 31.9 million tonnes. It exceeded that of any other metal except iron (837.5 million tonnes).[33] Forecast for 2012 is 42–45 million tons, driven by rising Chinese output.[34] Relatively pure aluminium is encountered only when corrosion resistance and/or workability is more important than strength or hardness. A thin layer of aluminium can be deposited onto a flat surface by physical vapour deposition or (very infrequently) chemical vapour deposition or other chemical means to form optical coatings and mirrors. When so deposited, a fresh, pure aluminium film serves as a good reflector (approximately 92%) of visible light and an excellent reflector (as much as 98%) of medium and far infrared radiation.
Pure aluminium has a low tensile strength, but when combined with thermo-mechanical processing, aluminium alloys display a marked improvement in mechanical properties, especially when tempered. Aluminium alloys form vital components of aircraft and rockets as a result of their high strength-to-weight ratio. Aluminium readily forms alloys with many elements such as copper, zinc, magnesium, manganese and silicon (e.g., duralumin). Today, almost all bulk metal materials that are referred to loosely as "aluminium", are actually alloys. For example, the common aluminium foils are alloys of 92% to 99% aluminium.[35]

Household aluminium foil

Aluminium-bodied Austin "A40 Sports" (circa 1951)

Aluminium slabs being transported from the smelters
Some of the many uses for aluminium metal are in:
Transportation (automobiles, aircraft, trucks, railway cars, marine vessels, bicycles etc.) as sheet, tube, castings etc.
Packaging (cans, foil, etc.)
Construction (windows, doors, siding, building wire, etc.)
A wide range of household items, from cooking utensils to baseball bats, watches.[36]
Street lighting poles, sailing ship masts, walking poles etc.
Outer shells of consumer electronics, also cases for equipment e.g. photographic equipment.
Electrical transmission lines for power distribution
MKM steel and Alnico magnets
Super purity aluminium (SPA, 99.980% to 99.999% Al), used in electronics and CDs.
Heat sinks for electronic appliances such as transistors and CPUs.
Substrate material of metal-core copper clad laminates used in high brightness LED lighting.
Powdered aluminium is used in paint, and in pyrotechnics such as solid rocket fuels and thermite.
Aluminium can be reacted with hydrochloric acid to form hydrogen gas.