Aluminum – light and elegant

Aluminum is a very special material. The light metal is corrosion-resistant, conveys lasting value and is more suitable than almost any other for providing an ideal setting for out-of-home advertising media. With its technical appeal and noble simplicity, it embodies the spirit of our time particularly well. In addition, it is very stable in value and easy to transport.

Corrosion resistant due to passivation

A little chemistry lesson: Aluminum is a chemical element with the element symbol Al and atomic number 13. In the periodic table, it belongs to the third main group. The earth metal was first discovered at the beginning of the 19th century by the English chemist Humphrey Davy, who gave it its name, which is still in use today. In terms of mass fraction, it is the third most abundant element in the Earth’s envelope after oxygen and silicon, and the most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust. Nowadays, it is mostly obtained electrolytically from bauxite. With a density of 2.70 g/cm³, it is a typical light metal. Components weigh only about half as much as steel for the same strength.

Aluminum is very base and, when freshly cut, reacts with air and water at room temperature to form aluminum oxide. A thin layer impermeable to air and water is formed, which protects against corrosion. This passivation makes pure aluminum highly resistant to corrosion, ensures high value retention, and gives the metal its dull, silver-gray appearance. Anodized aluminum has an even stronger corrosion protection (anodizing).

A material in demand as a light metal

Its low weight and versatile workability through casting, forming, machining and welding make aluminum a material in demand worldwide. Beverage cans, car rims, smartphone housings, aircraft parts, spacecraft and much more are made of it, and so aluminum stands for the technological achievements of our time in a way that probably only plastic, glass, (stainless) steel and concrete do.

In addition to its chemical and physical properties, aluminum therefore has a special symbolic significance in that it is associated with high-quality technology and is deliberately used to create this impression. A sporty or elegant automobile without alloy wheels? Just as inconceivable as an iPhone made only of plastic, even though this would certainly be technically possible. The combination with wood is also very appealing due to the contrast and the intended combination of nature and technology, as shopfitters, for example, know.

In marketing, where the evocation of positive emotions is known to play a major role, aluminum in, Glass Showcases, shelves, Notice boards and displays, etc., not only provides a contemporary look, but also convinces with its corrosion and 12 for many years. And with ease.