Where does aluminum come from?

Aluminum in water: content standards and impact on humans and nature

When determining the concentration of impurities in drinking and natural water, attention is paid to the volume of nitrates, sulfates, nitrites, chlorides, forgetting about aluminum, the most common metal in nature. Under normal conditions, aluminum dissolves in water to form various compounds that actively react with other impurities. As a result, the substance is saturated with aluminum hydrochloride, salts and other compounds.

And this leads to a change in water quality - a deterioration in the chemical composition, organoleptic properties, microbiological, bacterial indicators. The official MPC of aluminum in water for drinking and natural reservoirs is calculated by WHO and environmental organizations. But this parameter does not take into account the numerous ways metal enters natural sources and the human body.

Therefore, accurate determination of aluminum in water is important.

Aluminum in natural bodies of water

Natural saturation of water with metal occurs due to the ingress of aluminosilicates and some types of clay into it. After their dissolution, the interaction of aluminum with water begins, directly depending on its pH. Dissolution under natural conditions occurs slowly, but always with the release of hydroxide, bauxite, hydrochloride and other compounds. The substances and aluminum itself are contained in both sea water and river water. But this is under normal conditions.

Metal enters natural waters from:

• drains of industrial and domestic waters;
• wastewater from chemical production (any production increases the concentration of aluminum in wastewater by 2-5 times);
• construction waste and emissions.

Every year there are more and more such emissions into the environment, and control over the degree of their pollution is becoming less and less. In dirty wastewater with a high content of impurities and suspended matter, aluminum dissolves faster in water.

It enters water bodies in the form of suspended forms, ions and colloids. It is the ions and oxides that have increased toxicity. They have a detrimental effect on most living organisms living in natural sources.

According to standards, the concentration of aluminum in natural waters should not exceed 0.5 mg/dm3.

Aluminum in drinking water

The most common metal on the planet will certainly be contained in drinking water. According to the standards and requirements of GOST, aluminum in water must contain:

• no more than 0.5 mg/l in tap water;
• within 0.2-0.3 mg/l in bottled water;
• within 0.1-0.2 mg/l in filtered water.

Every day, the human body should receive no more than 90 mg of metal. But after the reaction of aluminum with water is completed, toxic impurities appear in it. Therefore, tap water, as well as well and borehole substances, should be checked for the concentration of unsafe impurities and components. Below is a table of maximum concentration limits for aluminum in drinking water and other substances important for human health.

Why should you drink water with a minimum concentration of aluminum?

Having found out where aluminum appears in water, it is worthwhile to look at the other ways it enters the body. This will help control the daily metal requirement. The bulk of the chemical element comes from food. The metal is also contained in:

• cosmetic preparations;
• utensils made of the same metal;
• medicines;
• deodorants, etc.

With the standard aluminum content in water there will be no effect on the body. With excessive concentration, the nervous system suffers, memory decreases, depression and irritability appear. The consequences do not occur immediately. This is due to the fact that not the entire volume of metal is absorbed by the body.

Scientists have also proven that a high aluminum content in water leads to neurological diseases and disruption of calcium-phosphorus metabolism, which inhibits the production of hemoglobin. Therefore, it is recommended to use a drinking substance with a metal volume of no more than 0.3 mg/l.

With this content of dissolved aluminum in water, daily consumption will not exceed 50 mg/l. Household filter systems are used for cleaning.

Water purification using coagulation method

In order for a liquid suitable for drinking or technical needs to flow from the taps, it must first be cleaned. Both groundwater and surface water must undergo this procedure before any use.

It is described above what happens when aluminum interacts with water - an unpleasant odor, unwanted impurities are formed, the substance becomes cloudy, and a sediment appears.

By deteriorating the organoleptic qualities of the liquid, some metal compounds can act as excellent coagulants - elements that bind dangerous and unnecessary particles in the substance. They are effectively used to improve the quality of liquids in water treatment systems.

Aluminum sulfate is most often used to purify water for any need. The coagulum is most active in an environment with an acidity of 4.4-6.1 pH. But they also apply to substances with a pH from 7 to 8. The water treatment procedure is as follows:

• adding aluminum sulfate to the liquid;
• mixing media - complete mixing occurs within 1-3 minutes;
• coagulation, in which the medium passes from one reservoir to another (the process lasts from 30 minutes to 1 hour);
• settling of bound sediment;
• filtration of the purified medium.

At the moment, water purification with aluminum is an affordable and effective way to remove suspended particles from liquids. During coagulation, the removal of sodium and calcium bicarbonates and carbonates is also observed. Upon completion of the water treatment procedure, the consumer receives clean and pleasant-smelling water.

Source: http://oskada.ru/analiz-i-kontrol-kachestva-vody/alyuminij-v-vode-normy-soderzhaniya-i-vliyanie-na-cheloveka-prirodu.html

How to distinguish aluminum from other metals

Business July 24, 2018

We welcome everyone who, being a real owner, draws knowledge and experience from our site. This suggests that today for some reason you are interested in the question of how to distinguish aluminum from stainless steel. But really, it’s not that simple.

Features of aluminum

Why is aluminum so valuable? This is a pure metal classified as non-ferrous. It is lightweight, durable, has a good degree of deformation, and is resistant to aggressive environments and corrosion.

All of the listed advantages allow it to be used in a variety of areas from industry and construction (except for industries where high-strength structures are manufactured) to domestic use.

The demand for the valuable metal is great, so it is important to know how to accurately distinguish it from other similar metal alloys.

Aluminum or stainless steel: methods of determination

There are several ways to help you do simple research on your own at home. Find out how to distinguish aluminum from stainless steel - advice from forum members and experts.

1. Using a magnet. Aluminum of any grade will not stick to a magnet. Stainless steel also has this property. But there is an exception to the rule. If it contains nickel in sufficient quantities, the tested products will have some attraction. If there is a lot of chromium or copper in a stainless metal, it will not have any effect on the magnet.
2. Marking on stainless steel. Some stainless steel products have identification markings. This already gives a hint on how to distinguish aluminum from stainless steel. If there are markings, for example, “STAINLESS” and the like, this is not aluminum.
3. Plain paper won't lie. The method is very simple. Experiment conditions: you need white, as thick paper as possible (printer paper will also work). Use a thick cloth to remove dirt from the edges of the products being tested. Move the cleaned areas one by one with some pressure across the sheet. There will be no traces left of the stainless steel. Aluminum will draw gray stripes.
4. How to distinguish aluminum from stainless steel by the color of the metal? The surface of the object has a shiny, colorless hue that does not change over time - it is stainless steel. The matte surface of a product that has a grayish or whitish color is aluminum. It will not be polished with sandpaper to a high gloss finish. Check it out.
5. Under mechanical load. Another simple way will help you understand how to distinguish aluminum from stainless steel. Hit the product against the surface of any hard metal in the dark. Aluminum will never spark, unlike stainless steel.
6. Thermal conductivity, melting. Compare where the water heats up faster. Of course, in an aluminum container. This metal has much better thermal conductivity. But it is not used on the burner of a gas furnace; the melting point is 660 °C. Stainless steel cannot be melted in the usual way (melting index is above 1800 °C).
7. Testing for copper sulfate. An option available to everyone. Copper sulfate, after exposure to aluminum, will leave cloudy stains and traces on it, but will not appear on stainless steel.
8. Alkaline solutions. Any housewife knows that it is impossible to boil aluminum cookware in alkaline solutions. It will darken and lose its appearance. Conclusion: aluminum products are afraid of alkali, both sodium and potassium. The same cannot be said about stainless steel.
9. Acid test. All acids, starting with the usual citric acid and ending with more aggressive ones, will leave marks when they get on the aluminum surface. You won’t see them on stainless steel; it doesn’t react with acids.

Duralumin – an alloy of aluminum with transition metals

The industry is not able to provide itself only with pure metal, and duralumin comes to the rescue here - various combinations of manganese, copper and magnesium in an alloy with aluminum.

In addition to all the above properties of its older brother, the transition metal has:

• high degree of strength;
• long service life;
• plasticity;
• high hardness.

It accumulates fatigue properties more slowly and is resistant to cracking.

The disadvantage of products made of duralumin is susceptibility to corrosion, which can be prevented by anodizing, applying a thin layer of paints and varnishes, aluminum.

The choice between the two metals depends on the end use. We pay tribute to their advantages, but also foresee their disadvantages. The domestic sector leaves the choice to aluminum, while the industrial sector votes for the strength that duralumin has.

Naturally, the question arises of how to distinguish aluminum from duralumin. It is almost impossible to determine by eye which metal is which. The chemical laboratory will give you the exact answer. But experts on the forums have their own opinion on this matter.

1. Follow the markings.
2. The color of the alloy is steel gray.
3. Scratches leave clear marks.
4. A ringing sound is heard from the impact.
5. During processing, the chips will break without ductility.
6. The structure of the alloy is fine-crystalline.

You can determine the type of material by conducting an experiment. Apply a drop of sodium hydroxide to duralumin and aluminum samples for 10 minutes. After removing the substance, we learn about the metal from the resulting stains: the dark one is duralumin.

If you place a piece of aluminum in an acid with added alkali, it will dissolve, forming a white powdery precipitate. In the experiment with duralumin, blue copper granules will be present.

Unlike aluminum, the main characteristics of the alloy are lack of ductility, brittleness and hardness.

Everything can be learned by comparison; examine the parts of two samples several times, pick them up and compare the weight. Such familiarity will help you subsequently simply recognize metals.

Silumin - a twofold relationship

Products made from silumin, an aluminum-based alloy with the addition of silicon, literally flooded the market. Why does it attract the buyer and how to distinguish aluminum from silumin?

Advantages of silumin

Of course, this alloy of two materials has its “fans”. They call the following positive features of silumin:

• light in weight;
• highly durable;
• resistant to wear and corrosion;
• cheap price.

Cons of silumin

Silumin products should be treated with caution, unlike aluminum ones. in silumin, aluminum production waste, silumin-containing alloys, and metal powder do not have an exact proportion. It cannot be called high quality, since the manufacturer produces cheap products under the name of some brand.

The disadvantages of the alloy include:

• design flaws;
• they are unsuitable for food products;
• dangerous to health.

You can distinguish silumin from aluminum visually. The products have a glossy smooth gray surface.

Today, public dissatisfaction with plumbing products continues to grow due to the heterogeneous structure of the material with numerous internal stresses and voids. After 3-5 months, the water tap turns into dust, and the rotary steel ball rusts.

Bimetal and aluminum using radiators as an example

When replacing heating radiators, many are faced with the choice of which material to choose for the new design. Cast iron batteries are a thing of the past; manufacturers offer aluminum, steel and bimetallic ones. While steel is easily recognizable in appearance, the problem with aluminum and bimetallic structures is that you can’t tell the difference by eye. Moreover, the latter option is in greatest demand. In the store there is a chance not to buy a fake, but how to distinguish bimetal from aluminum at the market?

Visual recognition will not provide accurate results to the consumer. Both the aluminum and bimetallic systems have external fins made of aluminum. And it’s impossible to visually determine the weight of one section.

For reference: the aluminum section weighs 1–1.6 kg, the bimetallic radiator “compartment” weighs 1.5–2 kg.

You can use the “old-fashioned” method and arm yourself with a neodymium magnet, which has greater power.

Preliminary test. Place the magnet first on the steel, then on the aluminum radiator. The magnetic tester will attract the first option to the surface. The effect will be weaker for a bimetallic radiator. Its steel tubes are located under a diamagnetic material - aluminum. With a powerful neodymium magnet, it is possible to catch the attraction.

It is more difficult when the coolant tubes are made of copper, which, like aluminum, is impervious to the magnetic field.

Difference from other non-ferrous metals

It is known that metals have largely identical properties. But each element has its own distinctive characteristics. They allow you to understand how to distinguish metal from aluminum:

• copper is recognized by its bright reddish hue;
• iron and its alloys have high magnetic properties;
• You can recognize gold by its yellow color;
• Lead has high fragility and density;
• silver has a bright shine;
• Tin has high ductility.

The above methods are only estimates and approximate. More reliable information is available on the pages of special reference literature.

Source: http://ooo-asteko.ru/kak-otlichit-alyuminiy-ot-drugih-metallov/

Melting aluminum at home: step-by-step instructions. Technology for melting aluminum at home:

Aluminum is one of the most common metals on earth. It is present even in the human body, so what can we say about the surrounding reality. Every home or personal car has aluminum functional elements, parts or assemblies that, alas, break quite often. These are furniture and window fittings, guides for doors and shutters, lock latches and other necessary little things.

They can be replaced with purchased new products, repaired, or made independently. In the last two cases, you may need to melt aluminum at home.

Characteristics of aluminum

It is not necessary to know all the characteristics of metal for homemade projects. But there are several points that can become significant or even dangerous in the work.

Aluminum lends itself well to casting and melts at a relatively low temperature of 660 °C. For reference: cast iron begins to melt at a temperature of 1100°C, and steel - 1300°C.

Therefore, melting aluminum at home on a gas stove is difficult to achieve, since home gas appliances cannot provide such a temperature. True, domestic “Kulibins” can do anything, but more on that later.

You can reduce the melting point of aluminum by grinding it into powder or using a finished powder product as a raw material. But here another property of aluminum becomes important. It is a fairly active metal, which, when combined with atmospheric oxygen, can ignite or simply oxidize. And the melting point of aluminum oxide is more than 2000 °C. When melting, oxide is still formed, but in small quantities; it is this that forms scale.

The same activity can play a bad joke if water gets into the molten metal. An explosion occurs. Therefore, if you need to add raw materials during the smelting process, you need to make sure that it is dry.

Raw materials for smelting

If you have to melt aluminum at home, it is not used as a raw material due to the complexity of working with powdered metal.

You can purchase aluminum ingots or use regular aluminum wire, which is cut into small pieces with scissors and pressed tightly with pliers to reduce the area of ​​contact with air.

If a particularly high quality of the product is not expected, then any household items, tin cans without a bottom seam or profile trimming, can be used as raw materials.

Recycled raw materials can be colored or stained, this is not a problem, the excess components will come off as waste. You just need to remember that you cannot inhale the fumes of burnt paint.

In order to obtain high-quality aluminum smelting at home from recycled materials, it is better to purchase ready-made fluxes, the task of which is to bind and bring to the surface of the molten metal all impurities and contaminants. But you can make it yourself from technical salts.

The coating flux is prepared from 10% cryolite and 45% each of sodium chloride and potassium chloride.

Another 25% of the total mass of sodium fluoride is added to the refining flux to obtain aluminum without porosity.

Personal protective equipment when melting

Melting aluminum at home is an unsafe process. Therefore, you need to use personal protective equipment (PPE). Even if such melting is needed once on minimal equipment, then at least you need to protect your hands, for example, with special welding gloves, which perfectly protect against burns, because the temperature of liquid aluminum is more than 600 ° C.

It is also advisable to protect your eyes, especially if melting occurs quite often, with goggles or a mask. And ideally, you need to work in a special metallurgist suit with increased resistance to fire and high temperatures.

If you need very pure aluminum using a refining flux, you should work in a chemical respirator.

Casting shape

If you only need to cast pure aluminum for solder, then a casting mold is not needed. It is enough to use a steel sheet on which the molten metal will cool. But if you need to cast even a simple part, you will need a casting mold.

The casting mold can be made from sculptural plaster, namely gypsum, not alabaster. Liquid plaster is poured into an oiled mold, allowed to harden a little, shaking occasionally to release air bubbles, the model is inserted into it and covered with a second container of plaster.

In a convenient place, you need to insert a cylindrical object into the plaster so that eventually a hole appears in the mold, the so-called channel, into which molten aluminum will be poured.

When the plaster has completely hardened, the two parts of the mold are separated, the model is taken out, and the mold with the finished cast is connected again.

A casting mold can also be made from a mixture of 75% foundry sand, 20% clay and 5% coal sand, which is poured into a special box made of boards and compacted. The model is pressed into the compacted earth, the resulting imprint is sprinkled with talcum powder and graphite (coal dust) so that the cooled aluminum part can be easily separated from the mold.

Melting crucible

Melting aluminum at home requires a special container with a spout made of refractory material. This is the so-called crucible. Crucibles can be porcelain, quartz, steel, cast iron, made of corundum or graphite. At home, you can use a purchased crucible or make one, for example, from a piece of steel pipe of sufficiently large diameter. True, for this you need a grinder, a welding machine and skills in using these tools.

The dimensions of the crucible depend on the required amount of aluminum to be melted. This ladle should be heated evenly, and its heat should be transferred to the raw materials.

Melting furnaces

The technology for melting aluminum at home is quite simple. In a special ladle, scrap aluminum is heated to a temperature exceeding the melting point of this metal, the melt is kept in a heated state for some time, slag is removed from its surface, then the pure metal is poured into a mold to cool. The melting time depends on the design of the furnace, that is, the temperature that it can provide.

If a blowtorch or gas torch is used, they heat the aluminum from above. True, the oven is still made of bricks in a well without a binding solution, inside which coals will burn to heat the container from below and maintain it in a heated state.

The design of the furnace looks approximately the same if the crucible is heated from below using ordinary firewood and a hair dryer. Only in this case, the firewood is stacked in a brick well not on the bottom, but on a grate located on the first row of bricks, and in this row there is a hole left for a metal pipe put on the neck of the hair dryer and secured to it with electrical tape.

The crucible in this case is a tin can, naturally not aluminum, in which diametrically opposite through holes are made at a short distance from the top. A steel rod is threaded through these holes, by which the can must be suspended in the oven. A hair dryer is needed to pump hot air into the space between the bricks and the crucible.

Sometimes a metal barrel is used instead of bricks.

If melting must occur quite often, then you can make a muffle furnace with your own hands with vertical loading of the crucible or buy a ready-made one.

Melting with a blowtorch

Melting aluminum at home with a blowtorch should not take place indoors. In addition to raw materials, a blowtorch, crucibles and bricks, you need to prepare firewood, pliers and a steel rod.

So, a small well was made from bricks so that a ladle with aluminum and a small steel sheet could be installed on top. A fire is lit in the well, which must burn out a little to form coals. Next comes the actual melting of aluminum at home. Step-by-step process instructions:

— A container with raw materials is placed on the bricks. It needs to be heated for about 15 minutes.

— After this, the burner of the blowtorch is turned on at full power and the aluminum is heated from above.

— The process begins within a few seconds, but in order for the heating to be uniform, the metal in the container must be carefully mixed with a steel rod, holding it with pliers (remembering to wear gloves). You can do without a rod by periodically shaking the bucket using the same pliers, but very carefully.

— When the liquid becomes homogeneous, you need to take the container with pliers and pour the contents onto the calcined steel sheet so that all the resulting scale remains in the ladle, and only clean metal gets on the sheet to harden.

This is how pure aluminum is usually obtained from recycled materials if aluminum parts need to be soldered with it.

Melting with wood or gas

Aluminum smelting at home using wood occurs in lightweight collapsible furnaces. The disadvantage of this method is the uncontrollability of the process. It is not possible to increase or decrease the heating temperature. It is possible to intervene in the process only by removing the container with aluminum from the heat.

Melting aluminum at home using gas is the only possible option for an apartment. The container needs to be heated for a long time, periodically draining the molten metal. In this case, casting is performed in layers. To work, you will need two metal containers of such diameters that one fits over the other. The smaller one serves as a crucible.

It is placed with a crowbar, for example, cut aluminum wire, on the burner from which you need to remove the flame divider of a household gas stove. A larger capacity will have to be worked on first. About a dozen small holes are made in its bottom.

Bolts are screwed into two or three of them, which act as handles, by which the hot container can be lifted with pliers.

This container is placed upside down on the crucible. This design allows aluminum to be heated. Periodically, the upper container must be removed and the scrap mixed with a metal rod or knife. Before draining the molten metal, the slag must be removed from its surface.

Melting aluminum in a muffle furnace

A muffle furnace is already quite a serious piece of equipment for producing high-quality molten metal. Therefore, when melting, flux is used to clean aluminum from impurities. And this is almost a production process, and not smelting aluminum at home. The step-by-step instructions also include several points for preparing raw materials:

• First, flux is melted in a crucible, which must be taken in an amount of 2 to 5% of the weight of aluminum, and then scrap is added to it.
• How active the flux is can be determined by the surface of the melt - it should be mirror-like. If this is not the case, a little more flux is added to the melt, then it will be necessary to add it before the end of the melt to make it easier to remove the slag from the surface of the metal with a steel spoon.
• Melting should be carried out at approximately 700-750 °C. This is the temperature of the red glow.
• During the smelting process, it may be necessary to add raw materials to the crucible, since the molten metal is greatly reduced in volume.
• Refining flux is added, if necessary, at the end of the melt in an amount of 0.25% by weight of the molten metal. Maintaining such a proportion at home is not an easy task. After adding flux, the melt must be mixed with a spoon, let stand for about 5 minutes, then remove the slag.
• When, as a result of heating, the aluminum has turned into a homogeneous shiny drop, the crucible must be kept in the oven for some time so that the metal becomes more fluid.
• Then the aluminum from the crucible through the spout (at this moment it becomes clear why such a ladle is needed) is poured into the mold in a thin continuous stream.
• After complete cooling, the mold is carefully divided into halves, the finished part is removed from it, which still needs to be finally processed: drill holes, if necessary, clean and sand the surface with sandpaper. That's all. The process is complete.

So don’t be alarmed in advance if you have to melt aluminum scrap at home in order to get pure metal or make a part to replace a broken one. Serious professional skills are not at all needed to organize such a foundry. The desire and skillful hands of an ordinary amateur craftsman can work wonders.

Source: https://BusinessMan.ru/new-plavka-alyuminiya-v-domashnix-usloviyax-poshagovaya-instrukciya-texnologiya-plavki-alyuminiya-v-domashnix-usloviyax.html

Aluminum in drinking water - identification and treatment

Aluminum is one of the most common elements in nature. The metal easily oxidizes, forms various compounds and salts that dissolve in water without problems. The result is a deterioration in its chemical composition and taste properties. Drinking water with a high concentration of aluminum and its compounds leads to negative consequences for human health. Therefore, preliminary purification of the liquid is necessary.

How does aluminum get into water?

Where does aluminum in water come from? Saturation of water with aluminum occurs in two main ways. The increased concentration of aluminum in natural waters is due to rocks. Natural sources of metal are aluminosilicates and some types of clay. The second option for the substance and its compounds to enter water sources is associated with the results of human activity, which are:

• domestic water waste;
• wastewater from chemical industry enterprises;
• discharges and emissions from construction sites.

The volume of such wastewater with a high aluminum content is constantly increasing. Metal that gets into water actively dissolves, forming various compounds - hydroxide, bauxite, hydrochloride, etc. A significant part of them is toxic, which has a very negative effect on microorganisms living in natural water sources, seriously worsening the overall environmental situation.

MAC standards for aluminum in water

The regulatory framework currently in force in Russia strictly regulates the aluminum content in natural and drinking water, as well as water supply systems. GOST standards for drinking and industrial water have been developed separately.

For natural water and liquids supplied to residential buildings from the water supply, the maximum metal concentration is set at 0.5 mg per liter of liquid.
GOST for aluminum in drinking water is the main regulatory document in Russia.

For bottled water, the maximum concentration limit for aluminum in drinking water is considered to be in the range from 0.2 to 0.3 mg/liter. For filtered purified liquid, the MPC standard for metal and its compounds is even stricter - within 0.1-0.2 mg per liter.

The daily intake of aluminum into the human body should not exceed 90 mg. It is necessary to take into account the fact that the metal is contained not only in drinking water, but also in almost all food products consumed. Additional sources of aluminum in the human body can be:

• cosmetic preparations;
• medicines;
• aluminum cookware;
• deodorants, air fresheners and other similar products.

The effect of aluminum in water on the human body

Let's look at why aluminum in water is harmful? The first and most noticeable manifestation of the negative impact of high aluminum content is the deterioration of the organoleptic qualities of water. It changes the taste and smell for the worse; during storage, even for a short time, sediment appears at the bottom of the container. It is formed by aluminum compounds, which are actively formed during the interaction of metal and water.

Another unpleasant consequence of increased metal content in drinking water and excess of its daily intake into the human body is long-term. It is expressed in inhibition of hemoglobin production, which leads to the appearance of neurological diseases and disruption of calcium-phosphorus metabolism. Considering such a serious negative effect, the importance of effective purification of drinking water from aluminum and its compounds becomes clear.

How to determine aluminum in water

An accurate idea of ​​the amount of the substance contained in drinking water can be obtained by chemical analysis of water for aluminum. Finding aluminum in water on your own is quite problematic.

The most obvious criteria for identifying a problem is usually a deterioration in the taste and odor of drinking water. There are several methods in a chemical laboratory, the main ones being: determination of aluminum in water with aluminone and determination of aluminum in water with chromasurol.

All experiments must be carried out on the basis of GOST for the determination of aluminum in water.

Additional indicators of an increased concentration of aluminum in a liquid are:

• with a metal content of 0.3 mg per liter and above, the color of the water changes, especially strongly with the simultaneous presence of iron in its composition;
• if this indicator exceeds a value of 0.4-0.5 mg/l, aluminum hydrochloride flakes begin to form in the liquid.

How to remove aluminum from water

The simplest and most effective way to purify water from aluminum is the reverse osmosis method. It involves passing the solution through special membranes. Particles of various impurities, including aluminum and its compounds, are retained on reverse osmosis membranes. Such a “filter” for purifying water from aluminum allows you to obtain the most purified water, which is used for drinking and technological purposes.

There are two main types of reverse osmosis plants - industrial and domestic. The first option involves the use of equipment for the water supply system of a home, estate or cottage, cafes, restaurants, as well as industrial enterprises.

It is mounted in a utility room and allows you to remove aluminum and other impurities from any volume of water necessary for consumption. Industrial reverse osmosis is a great solution if your water test is high in aluminum.

The standard equipment of an industrial reverse osmosis installation for removing aluminum from water includes the following elements:

1. filter (one or more) for preliminary cleaning from large impurities;
2. the membrane installation itself (reverse osmosis);
3. a tank for purified water;
4. pump for supplying water to the water supply system.

Household reverse osmosis units are compact in size and are mounted directly under the sink in the bathroom or kitchen. All of the listed parts of the water purification system from aluminum and other impurities are combined under one housing. Such equipment is noticeably cheaper, but allows you to get purified water from only one tap.

We offer our services for purifying drinking water from aluminum

Our company provides the opportunity to analyze water for aluminum and a number of other indicators, as well as select a suitable option for completing a drinking water purification system from a number of pollutants, incl. aluminum ions.

Our company's catalog presents a variety of models of industrial and household equipment from leading domestic and foreign manufacturers.

The company’s specialists are ready to provide professional advice and qualified assistance in choosing a reverse osmosis installation, taking into account the needs and requests of the client.

Source: https://diasel.ru/article/alyuminij-v-pitevoj-vode/

Where to find aluminum in Fallout 4?

The aluminum component is a vital element in Fallout 4, for those players who are actively involved in building their settlement in the game, or are actively involved in modifying weapons and armor pieces. It is these players who often ask the question, where can they get more aluminum? In this article we will try to answer this question.

For convenience, use the summary:

Where to find aluminum in Fallout 4?

The most common way to obtain aluminum is to disassemble trash or objects that contain this component in a workshop. We will talk about what kind of trash aluminum contains in the next section, and in this section we will talk about where it is better to go to find aluminum in the form of objects or trash.

Any location contains junk, from which you can extract the component you need, it’s just that in some locations there is a lot of this junk, in others there is little. Most aluminum can be found in the following 3 locations:

• Location “Fish factory “Mekhkra”” - at this plant aluminum is found in the form of such items as:
  • aluminum tray (there are just tons of them, we collect everything);
  • aluminum can;
  • etc.
• The vicinity of the “Good Neighbor” location – if you walk around these places, you can find a lot of rubbish that contains aluminum, and most importantly it is safe;

• Location “Corvega car assembly shop” - in this location you can find a lot of rubbish that contains aluminum, in total there will be more than 100 units, but you can also find quite a few problems here, because this plant is the haven of a large gang of raiders.

: aluminum can also be mined using cheat codes, its id=0006907a.

What kind of junk contains aluminum?

As mentioned above, aluminum can be obtained from various trash by dismantling it in the workshop of your settlement; see what kind of trash contains aluminum in this table:

Name	aluminum	item id
Applicator	1	00166b2c
Wrench (Institute)	1	00166b32
Otoscope	1	0013ff44
Tool tray	3	00059ad8
Coffee can	2	00020194 (00020191)
Transmitter	2	000ede2a
Galvanocauter	1	00166b2d
Sidelight	2	0007e941
Tripod	1	000ec8b3
Carlyle typewriter	2	001c88e7
Emergency Pulsator	2	0014198e
Dictaphone	1	0013ff87
Industrial oil can	2	001ab5ee
Shiny tin can	1	000f15bb
toy rocket	1	00059b2a
Tweezers	1	0013ff41
Sensor	1	00166b31
Alarm	2	00059b27
Injector	1	00166b2e
Tray	1	0019dff3
Aluminum can	2	0001f908
Cap on refrigerant circuit	2	000e1ff0
Triple tool	1	00166b34
Alarm clock "Alarmmaster"	2	001c9e92
Small oiler	1	001ab5ed
Lunch tray	3	00059b2c
Cake pan	3	0001a333
Emergency transmitter turned off	2	0014198e
Aluminum canister	2	00176054

Which traders can you buy aluminum from?

In order to extract aluminum, you don’t have to go on dangerous raids; you can simply go to a merchant and buy the component you need. There are 2 traders in the Commonwealth who have sufficient quantities of aluminum, these are:

• Merchant Rufus Rubins - this merchant can be found in the Good Neighbor location, usually he is located in the lobby of the local Rexford Hotel, Rufus sells aluminum in batches of 50 pieces;
• Trader Arturo Rodriguez - you can find him in the Diamond City location, he runs the “Weapons of the Commonwealth” store there, in addition to weapons, he also sells aluminum in batches of 25 units.

: If you didn't find Rufus at the hotel, then head to the Third Rail bar, he will definitely be there.

As you can understand from this article, finding aluminum in Fallout 4 is not difficult, and there are several ways to do this. If you know where else aluminum can be mined, then write to us in the comments, we will definitely add this information to the article.

Source: https://xn---3-6kc8bas2ahe.xn--p1ai/%D0%B3%D0%B4%D0%B5-%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%B9%D1%82%D0 %B8-%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8E%D0%BC%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B9-%D0%B2-fallout-4/

Where can you find aluminum scrap?

Aluminum pans, cutlery, familiar from childhood, and even chocolate foil are not a complete list of products that are made of aluminum. During the Soviet era, the price of aluminum products did not correspond in any way to its real value, which formed the erroneous opinion that this material was cheap.

In any garage or shed there will be dozens of aluminum items: window fittings, old aluminum radiators, bicycle parts, camp kettles and pots, cable remnants - the list goes on for a long time. Due to the mismanagement of the 80-90s, even whole ingots of commercial aluminum can be found in industrial landfills.

This metal is of strategic importance for the national economy. Industrial production is carried out by melt electrolysis, which is associated with huge energy costs.

Recycling recycled materials is much cheaper (energy savings of up to 75%, reduction of harmful emissions into the atmosphere - up to 90%), in addition, this metal can be melted down many times without deteriorating its physical properties. Aluminum scrap is purchased without restrictions at almost all scrap metal collection points and is much more expensive than ferrous metal scrap.

After receiving, further sorting is carried out, after which the secondary raw materials are classified and assigned a class, group and grade. The total number of varieties of aluminum secondary raw materials exceeds 20 items.

Physics and chemistry of matter

It is known from a school chemistry course that aluminum is a silver-white with low density and high thermal and electrical conductivity. In air it becomes covered with a protective film, which easily dissolves in hot solutions of alkalis and acids; some of its compounds have amphoteric properties. Even on the basis of such superficial information, several ways can be proposed to distinguish aluminum from other metals.

The main difference from stainless steel, iron, tin, lead and other metals most often sold for scrap is its low density, which can be determined at home. To do this, you will need a measuring cylinder and a kitchen scale with a weighing accuracy of up to 1 gram.

The technique is simple and does not require special knowledge: we lower a pre-weighed part from the material under study into a graduated cylinder filled with water, and note the change in the position of the liquid meniscus. Next, we divide the mass of the part by its volume, equal to the difference in the water level in the cylinder, and get the density.

If the result is a value close to 2.7 g/ml, then with a high degree of probability the part is made of aluminum.

In classical chemistry, a qualitative reaction for aluminum is a test with hydrochloric acid and ammonium hydroxide. If you dissolve an aluminum sample in a 10% solution of hydrochloric acid and then add ordinary ammonia, a precipitate of Al(OH)3↓ will form.

Attention: the reaction is accompanied by rapid gas formation (hydrogen release), so safety precautions must be observed (safety glasses, gloves, apron).

The simplest way to distinguish aluminum from iron is a magnetic test: aluminum parts will not be attracted to a magnet.

However, this effect is a necessary but not sufficient confirmation that the sample under study is made of aluminum, since both aluminum alloys and some non-ferrous metals have paramagnetic properties.

The following shows an experiment with a magnet on a pendulum and a sheet of aluminum (in the absence of magnetism, the pendulum would not stop in the middle and, due to its energy, would continue to oscillate).

Difference from duralumin

It is quite difficult for an ignorant person to identify these materials at first glance; the most accurate result can only be obtained in a chemical laboratory. A preliminary conclusion can be made using the advice shared by experts on professional forums.

In a pair of aluminum/duralumin, the first will emit a high-pitched ringing sound upon impact, does not break when bent, and after removing the chips, the surface shines like silver (by the way, it is almost impossible to confuse these metals, since silver has a much higher specific gravity).

When fractured, aluminum produces a fine-grained structure; When drilling, the chips come off easily and do not stick to the drill.

The differences can also be determined using chemical methods. If the test sample is placed in a solution of nitric acid, and after some time (2-3 hours) it is neutralized with an alkali solution (regular baking soda will also do), then in the case of pure aluminum a translucent white precipitate will form, and copper in duralumin will give the precipitate a bluish tint.

Difference from TsAM

Difficulties in identifying these materials arise quite often, since TsAM - alloys of three metals (zinc, aluminum, copper) are very similar in appearance to pure metal. A reliable method of determination is using hydrogen peroxide, a 20% solution of sodium sulfide or a 10% solution of copper sulfide: when applying a few drops of any of the above reagents to a sharpened surface (fresh cut), the aluminum will remain silvery-white, and the TsAM will darken.

Difference from stainless steel

You can distinguish these materials at home in just a few minutes. First of all, you should pay attention to the external differences: the aluminum surface feels rougher and more matte to the touch, stainless steel always shines well, even if the sample is not polished. Stainless steel is also not attracted by a magnet, but products made from it are significantly heavier than aluminum (the density is at least three times higher).

Next, we do a “knife” test - a mark will remain on the surface of the aluminum, but stainless steel, due to its high hardness, will remain undamaged. You can also run the piece over white paper: an aluminum sample will leave a gray mark, while a stainless steel mark will remain colorless. Metalworking specialists offer another simple method - cutting the sample with a grinder.

Stainless steel will produce a lot of sparks; aluminum will not produce sparks.

How to profitably sell aluminum for scrap

The price per kilogram (kg) of aluminum scrap depends on the following indicators:

1. grade of aluminum or aluminum alloy;
2. clogging of scrap;
3. total weight of aluminum scrap.

The first and second points affecting the price of aluminum scrap can be considered as one. Since in the first one it is the overall purity of aluminum. And in the second, this is the cleanliness of scrap in general (table of contamination of aluminum scrap). Now in more detail about each point.

Aluminum and aluminum alloy grade and scrap contamination

Naturally, the purer the aluminum, the more expensive it is. The purest aluminum, both as metal and as scrap, is considered to be two types of aluminum - electrical and food grade aluminum.

Electrical scrap includes aluminum wires, electrical busbars, aluminum profiles (from certain alloys), wire, etc.

Food grade aluminum scrap includes barrels, cans, kettles, pots, spoons, forks, plates, flasks and other aluminum utensils. There are frying pans made of food-grade aluminum and frying pans made of silumin. Silumin also belongs to aluminum scrap, it is much cheaper.

The difference between silumin scrap and food-grade aluminum scrap using the example of a frying pan

• a silumin frying pan is much heavier than a food-grade aluminum frying pan of the same size;
• the wall thickness of a silumin pan is 3-5 mm, the thickness of a food-grade aluminum pan is 1-2 mm;
• silumin does not bend, if you try to bend the side of the frying pan, then after exceeding the critical breaking load, the side will break off - food-grade aluminum bends, crumples, etc., with sufficient force, a food-grade aluminum frying pan can be crumpled up like a sheet of paper;
• and naturally the weight - a silumin frying pan weighs 1.5-2 kg, an aluminum frying pan weighs 0.5-0.7 kg (in the same size).

There is also motor scrap (engines, blocks, pistons and other car parts), aircraft scrap (airplanes, helicopters), ship scrap (aluminum boats and boats), aluminum cans and aluminum shavings.

Returning to the purity of scrap aluminum

In food grade aluminum scrap, natural contamination occurs in the form of soot and scale.

In electrical scrap, contamination is considered to be windings of wires and cables, solder or mica residues on the surface and other substances that have nothing to do with aluminum and are located on the surface of the items being handed over.

Engine blocks or other vehicle components (gearbox housings) have torn studs or pressed-in steel bushings.

Airplanes and helicopters, even those cut into pieces, contain steel bolts and nuts.

Aluminum jars are not contaminated; they have another property that affects the cost - volume. This problem can be solved by pressing; pressed aluminum cans take up much less space and will cost more.

The dirtiest type of aluminum scrap is considered to be aluminum shavings. Aluminum shavings may contain coolant, steel shavings, dust, rags and other debris.

Here, consider for yourself what is more profitable for you:

• spend your time - clean the wires from the windings, clean the dishes from scale, unscrew the nuts or compress the cans and sell the scrap at a higher price!
• pay for this work at the collection point - handing over the scrap is 10-15% cheaper.

The influence of scrap weight on its value

The price of aluminum scrap at wholesale collection points is 5-10% higher than the price at regular collection points accepting scrap of 1-2 kg. Wholesale collection points accept scrap from 1000 kg and above.

Everything is simple here. In order to sell aluminum at a higher price, you need to wait, collect it in a minimum wholesale batch and get a price per kg that is higher than if you sold it in parts at retail.

Finally:

Large batch (from 1000 kg) - reception price +5-10%

In principle, it is possible to replace “scrap aluminum” with scrap of some other metal in order to increase its real value.

Source: https://KZASK.ua/blog/kak-vigodno-sdat-alyuminiy.html

How is aluminum obtained?

Aluminum is the most common chemical element on earth. It ranks third after oxygen and silicon. Its content makes up 8.8 percent of all natural resources.

How is aluminum obtained in its pure form?

But did you know that aluminum does not occur in free form in nature? There are no aluminum mines. It is extracted from mines containing bauxite, alunite and nephiline. To obtain aluminum in its pure form, it is necessary to go a long way to separate the metal from other chemical elements.

The technological process for producing aluminum consists of two stages:

1. Bauxite ore is crushed to produce alumina.
2. Extraction of aluminum from alumina.

Alumina is the name given to crystalline aluminum oxide.

Alumina is subjected to electrolysis in cryolite. At a temperature of 960-970 0C in special baths, a low voltage electric current of 4.5 Volts is used, but at a very high current strength of 250 thousand Amperes. As a result, liquid aluminum concentrates at the bottom of the bath around the cathode, and oxygen accumulates around the anode. The aluminum is then refined and poured into molds. Subsequently, various products are manufactured.

Aluminum production is a labor-intensive process that requires the lion's share of electricity. Therefore, aluminum smelters can most often be found near large hydroelectric power stations to produce cheap electricity.

What is the future for aluminum?

In the past: By order of Napoleon III, cutlery was made from aluminum. They were served at celebrations to the emperor and the most honored guests; the rest were content with gold and silver utensils.

In the mid-nineteenth century, Parisian fashionistas were required to have at least one piece of aluminum in their outfits.

Today: Everything is made from aluminum; aircraft, rocket fuel, profiles for greenhouses, electronics products. Aluminum production in metallurgy accounts for 2% of metal production, and in the future it is projected to increase to 4-5%.

In the future: Manufacturers are already creating fabric coated with a thin layer of this metal. It is called “aluminized fabric”. For example, if the fabric is used as curtains on a hot day, the fabric will do a good job in two ways: it will reflect heat and allow light to easily enter the room. So the apartment will be light and at the same time cool.

For two centuries, light metal was able to conquer the world. And the twenty-first century, by general recognition, promises to be the century of aluminum.

Source: http://electric-tolk.ru/kak-poluchayut-alyuminij/

Aluminum recycling: all the secrets

Aluminum (AL) is a metal widely used in everyday life and industry.

In the foundry industry there is a term "recycling" which refers to the reuse of metal, but with some limitations. Aluminum recycling has its own characteristics. Aluminum is contained both in large industrial household scrap and in foil, shavings and packaging in measured quantities.

Naturally, in different cases the processing process proceeds differently. For example, the process of processing small industrial waste is more labor-intensive than melting scrap (aluminum cans, etc.).

Recycling of aluminum contained in packaging, foil and shavings

When aluminum is melted, slag comes out, which is a harmful mixture of chemical compounds formed when aluminum comes into contact with oxygen. Basically, the main components of these emissions are aluminum nitrides and oxides with minor inclusions of other chemical elements.

Next comes the selection of slag, who needs to be removed before the metal is spilled. Foreign components roll into characteristic lumps similar to dirt, which can reach up to 30 cm in size. Typically, the content of pure non-ferrous metal in small products does not exceed 30-90% by weight and is revealed by the original composition of the alloy. If you follow the technology correctly, only 1-2% of the total volume of melted aluminum will remain in the slag after processing.

Due to the high proportion of aluminum included in the slag, it is processed until as much pure metal as possible is recovered. To do this, the slag is again sorted and crushed into fine chips, after which it is melted in the presence of salt fluxes, which help to separate aluminum from the slag. Next, the clean metal is drained, and the remains are disposed of.

Recycling of household aluminum

Aluminum scrap is used products, industrial waste with a base metal content of at least 70%. Scrap contains harmful inclusions; when melted, they can pollute the atmosphere with harmful compounds. These include: paint, rubber, insulation residues, polymers and other materials. To simplify the remelting procedure, a little primary metal is added.

If magnesium is present in the scrap, it will be removed using chlorine, sodium and potassium chlorides. Zinc and magnesium degrade the quality of the aluminum alloy, but they cannot be detected visually.

According to statistics, in Russia up to 40% of aluminum in the form of household and industrial products is returned for secondary smelting. As a rule, this pays off, although the profitability of such production very much depends on the quality of the scrap being melted.

Many manufacturers of non-ferrous metals and packaging using aluminum create special programs regarding the recycling of tableware and industrial containers. Aluminum scrap with an iron content of 1% or more is mainly used as an oxidizing agent to remove excess air bubbles from the alloy. These are necessary measures for all industrialists. Sometimes aluminum scrap is required to produce new types of commercial alloys.

Unfortunately, recycling aluminum implies subsequent restrictions on its use in everyday life. That is, for example, recycled aluminum cans are no longer used for the re-production of similar containers.

See also:

Source: http://alon-ra.ru/vtorichnaia-pererabotka-aliuminiia.html