What is Aluminum?

The first piece of aluminum was made in 1825, by a Danish chemist, using a combination of two elements, potassium and amalgam. The process was improved in 1847 by using metallic potassium. Then in 1855 the first piece of pure aluminum was made in Paris.

Aluminum is the third most abundant thing in the world, and the most abundant metal in the earths crust. Aluminum is never found by itself, much like gold. There is always something else in it, such as iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium.

If you have the same amount of aluminum and steel, the aluminum will be around a third of the steel’s weight. This means it has a higher strength-to-weight ratio, which means it can be used for things like airplanes, where light metal is a necessity.

Aluminum becomes more important by the day. Household items such as aluminum foil reduce food spoilage. Also, aluminum is a good insulator, meaning you spend less on heating bills.

What is plastic?

Plastic, a material made up of large, organic molecules that can be formed into many different types of products. These molecules are made up of long, chainlike molecules. There are many ways to use plastic. Plastic be as hard as steel, transparent, light, and even elastic. This allows plastic to be used in many different ways. Currently, there are about 50 types of plastic. Plastic is moldable, meaning you can it can mold into different shapes. This is because plastic is made from fossil fuels. Almost everything contains plastic. The car you drive contains plastic, the telephone, the floor. It may not be all plastic, and you might not even know it, but there is some plastic in almost everything.

Plastic, unlike wood, does not rot. This makes it useful for long lasting items. Plastics are generally cheap to produce, but they take up fossil fuels, a non-renewable energy source. Plastic is lighter than steel, and can be as hard as steel if reinforced with glass or other fibers.

Plastic has a history going way back. Back in the Egyptian days, they used natural plastic to mold bowls for soaking the wrappings around mummies. Animal horns contain natural plastic, and people have been making combs and other things for years. It took them until 1839 to accidentally create a type of rubber, which in turn lead them to create the first type of plastic in 1862. After that, they soon started to find a way to replace the ivory billiard balls.

The biggest problem with plastic is the environment issues. Plastic cannot be disposed in any way. If you melt it, it creates poisonous gases, and it does not decompose. 10 million metric tons of plastic is thrown away every year in the United States. The only way to do something with it is to recycle it, but that is costly and is not done much.

Which is more efficient?

Now that all the facts are out, which is more efficient, aluminum or plastic?

Aluminum is the most abundant metallic source. This means there is always lots of it, and it is relatively easy to get. Both aluminum and plastic do not degrade, good for things that need to last long. Aluminum is stronger by itself, without needing other materials added into it. But plastic can have glass and steel fused into it, to make it as strong as a rock, while still relatively light. There is also the fact of the aluminum being a good insulator. Plastic is more versatile, because it can be strong, heavy, or light. They can both keep food from spoiling, but plastic can be translucent, allowing it to be seen from outside. Aluminum foil also can bend easy, and isn’t molded, which means it can’t hold soup or other liquids, while plastic can. This makes plastic used more commonly in the household, because it is better.

Outside of the household, aluminum is better. Aluminum is relatively light, and is still strong. It is good for bridges, vehicles, bikes, and many other things. It is also used in silverware. Aluminum is the most commonly used conductor of energy at 700000 volts or more. While it only has 63% of the conductivity, it weighs half as much, and if you use a little less than twice as much is works out better for you. Aluminum is used in pop cans. Pop cans are so common, there wouldn’t be enough plastic to make them all. Aluminum is easily recycled, while plastic is hard to recycle, because of the many different types of it.

Effects on the Environment

You must also take into consideration the environment effects of both aluminum and plastic. Aluminum definitely wins here. First of all, aluminum is recycled so much easier. Aluminum is also easy to find, and there’s lots of it. Unlike plastic, which is made from fossil fuels (oil, coal). Fossil fuels are already depleting, and once they are all used up we are in trouble. There is no way to currently get rid of plastic. If you burn it, it creates poisonous gases. It doesn’t decompose, and it nothing eats plastic. This is a growing problem around the world. Scientists are working on making decomposable plastic. Aluminum can be made into other aluminum easily, because there aren’t many forms of aluminum. An example would be with pop cans. You see pop can recycling bins everywhere. Pop cans get recycled over and over.