Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Aluminium atom

Introduction:
Aluminium atom is a silvery white member which belongs to the boron group element.  It has an atomic number 13 and Al is its symbol. Aluminium is the third most abundant metal in the Earth's crust, after oxygen and silicon. It makes up about 8% by weight of the Earth's solid surface. Aluminium is reactive chemically to occur in nature as a free metal. Instead, it is found combined in over 270 different other minerals. Bauxite ore is the chief source of aluminium.

One of the remarkable properties of Aluminium atom is for its low density metal and for its ability to resist corrosion due to the phenomenon named as passivation.

The property of Aluminium metal depends on Aluminium atoms present in it. Aluminium is a soft, durable, lightweight, ductile and malleable metal of the 3rd period. Its appearance ranges from silvery to dull gray, depending on the surface roughness. Aluminium is nonmagnetic metal. It is also insoluble in alcohol, in certain forms though it can be soluble in water. 7–11 MPa is the yield strength of pure aluminium, while aluminium alloys yield strengths ranging from 200 MPa to 600 MPa. Aluminium atom has about one-third the density and stiffness of steel.

Face-centered cubic (fcc) structure is the atomic arrangement of Aluminium atoms.  Aluminium metal has a stacking -fault energy of approximately 200 mJ/m2.

Characteristics of aluminium atom

Aluminium is a metal which is present in 13th (lllA) group and 3rd period of the periodic table. It has the electronic configuration 1s22s22p63s23p. Aluminium has the Oxidation state of +1,+2, and +3.

The outer three electrons occupy three s2p hybrid orbitals that point in orthogonal directions. These electrons easily form covalent bonds, as in anhydrous AlCl3. This compound easily sublimates, showing that it is not ionic, and is partially hydrolyzed by H2O to release HCl gas. It cannot be formed by heating the hydrated form to drive off H2O.

3s23p2 3p  is the spectroscopic ground state. The resonance line is at 396.15 nm of Aluminium atom, that’s why aluminium atom is not excited in the flame and gives it no color. When the atom is excited, most of the lines are in the red or infrared in nature. Aluminium is in column IIIA of the modern periodic table, which includes boron, aluminium, gallium, indium and thallium. Aluminium atom is the only common element in the group, and is considerably different from the others in physical and chemical properties.

Aluminium is the most widely used non-ferrous metal among the metals. Relatively pure aluminium is encountered only when corrosion resistance and 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 chemical vapour deposition or other chemical means to form optical coatings and mirrors on the surfaces.
Atomic Structure of Aluminium atomAluminium atom



Applications of aluminium atom

Other uses of Aluminium Atom: 
  • Transportation: Here Aluminium is used as body parts such as automobiles, aircrafts, trucks, railway cars, marine vessels, bicycles etc. as sheet, castings etc.,
  • Packaging of Food and other things are made by Aluminium foil.
  • Construction of building materials. (Windows, doors, siding, building wire, equipments etc.)
  • A wide range of household items, from cooking utensils to baseball bats, watches etc., are made from Aluminium atom.
  • Street lighting poles, sailing ship mats, walking poles, roof cover etc., are made by strong Aluminium Rods.
  • Outer shells of consumer electronics, also cases for equipment e.g. photographic equipment etc., are made from Aluminium.

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