Used originally as an astringent and a dyeing mordant, aluminum was first isolated in 1827. Originally called aluminium, the American Chemical Society adopted the name aluminum in 1925.

Aluminum is the most abundant metal found in the earth's crust (8.1%) and is found in clay, cryolite, granite, and many other common minerals. A silvery-white metal, aluminum is light, non-magnetic, and non-sparking; it is second among metals in malleability, and sixth in ductility.

Pure aluminum is soft and lacks strength, but alloys of copper, magnesium, silicon, manganese, and other elements add to its usefulness.