Aluminum is a lightweight, non-magnetic, silver-colored metal that can be formed into almost any shape. It can be rolled into thick plates for armored tanks or thin foil for wrappers. It can also be drawn into wire and made into cans. Pure aluminum is soft and has limited strength. Small amounts of elements such as copper, magnesium and zinc are added to increase strength.

Aluminum is the third most abundant element in the earth’s crust after oxygen and silicon and is a comparatively new industrial metal that has been produced in commercial quantities for just over 100 years.