Who Discovered Aluminum
Aluminum, spelled aluminium in some countries, is a silvery white metal which is soft and lightweight. But who discovered aluminum? This post will answer that question then tell you a few interesting facts about aluminum.
Who Discovered Aluminum?
Ancient Greeks and Romans used aluminum salts for dressing wounds. However, aluminum metal was not isolated until the 19th century. Danish chemist Hans Christian Ørsted first produced aluminum in 1825 by reacting aluminum chloride with potassium amalgam. Therefore, Ørsted is considered to be the discoverer of Aluminum.
Interesting Facts About Aluminum
- A very small percentage of people are allergic to aluminum. If they use any deodorant with aluminum they will probably get a bad rash.
- The biggest producers of aluminum metal are Australia, Brazil, Canada, Norway, Russia and the United States.
- Many years ago, aluminum was considered more precious than gold.
- Aluminum is very reactive and is never found uncombined in nature.
- Aluminum is easily recyclable. It requires much less energy to recycle aluminum than it does to extract it in the first place!
- Recycled aluminum has the same physical properties as aluminum.
- While Americans still use the spelling aluminum (the original name given to the element), most countries have now adopted the modified spelling aluminium.
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