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 Form 4 Chemistry online video lessons on metals

Uses of aluminium metal

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Answer Text:
Uses of aluminium
1. Making parts of airplanes, railway, trucks, buses, tankers, furniture, and car e.t.c.
Reason;
- It is Very light due to a very low density.
2. Making cooking vessels/ utensils such as sufurias.
Reason:
- It is a good conductor of heat and electricity.
- It is not easily corroded by cooking liquids due to the unreactive coating of aluminium oxide.
3. Making overhead cables
Reason:
- It is a good conductor of electricity.
- It is light hence can easily be supported by poles and ductile to be rolled into wires (cables).
4. Aluminium powder mixed with oil is used as a protective paint.
5. Making Aluminium foils due to its high malleability.
The foil is used in cooking; packaging and for milk bottle tops.
6. Making alloys, which have high tensile strength and yet light.
Examples:
figmetals13820201024.JPG
7. As a reducing agent in the Thermite process in the production of some elements such as chromium, cobalt manganese and titanium.
Example:
#Cr_2O_3(s) + 2Al(s) to 2Cr(s) + Al_2O_3(s)#
Note:
-The thermite process
- Is a process of reducing oxides of metals which are ordinarily difficult to reduce using Aluminium powder.
Examples:
-Iron (III) Oxide (#Fe_2O_3#)
-Chromium (III) Oxide
(#Cr_2O_3#)
-Compound oxide of manganese (#Mn_3O_4#)
- The oxide and the Al powder are well mixed together, forming Thermite.
- The thermite is ignited using magnesium ribbon fuse, since the reaction will not start at low temperatures.
- The high heat of formation of Aluminium oxide , results into a vigorous exothermic reaction that leads to a molten metal.
Example: -In the reduction of chromium (III) Oxide.
#Cr_2O_3(s) + 2Al(s) to 2Cr(l) + Al_2O_3(s) + Heat.#


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