Aluminium is the most abundant metal in the Earth's crust but, because aluminium was isolated experimentally only in 1827 and produced in commercial quantities only after 1886, its production and use is many times less than that of iron. However over twice as much aluminium is produced as copper and the annual percentage growth in its consumption between 1985 and 1998 at 2.8% is significantly greater than that of iron and steel.The aluminium industry provides an in-depth overview of the international aluminium trade at the turn of the millennium. Its clearly presented information, analysis and statistics bring the industry into sharp focus – from extraction and refining to applications, markets, prices and future trends.The aluminium industry is essential reading for: Professionals whose businesses participate in, supply or buy from any part of the aluminium industry The finance community with investment interests in the metals or raw materials industries Engineers needing an overview of the structure and commercial operation of the aluminium industry Government policy makers and all those needing an introduction to the industry or a training resource for new entrants Read this guide and find out about: How the aluminium industry has developed from its earliest beginnings How the key raw materials, bauxite and alumina are processed Why technical trends are changing the production of aluminium How primary aluminium is priced The role of recycled aluminium metal How demand is changing and the main applications for aluminium products today and in the future The organisation of international trade, industry corporate structures and the key issues that will determine the industry's future

Aluminium was one of most cartelised industries in the international economic panorama of the 20th century. Born following the discovery of electrolytic smelting process in 1886, this industry, even in its infancy, established a cartel which characterised its history until nearly 1980. Managers of the aluminium industry from various historical eras and countries shared the same vision about the development of their industry: to keep prices as stable as possible in order to encourage expansions and to provide return on investments. Price instability, which characterised the trade of other commodities, was unknown to the aluminium industry. This book neither argues that cartels are fundamentally evil, nor attempts to demonstrate that cartels are optimal business organisations. It instead provides an in-depth and frank analysis of the internal working of industrial organisations and of the interplay between cartels and political powers and institutions. The International Aluminium Cartel offers explanations for the construction and collapse of cartels, descriptions of their operations, and an historical interpretation of their experiences. Incorporating information gleaned from a unique collection of private and public archives from several countries, this unique study will appeal to a wide variety of readers, including academics interested in industrial and business history.

Separation processesâ€"or processes that use physical, chemical, or electrical forces to isolate or concentrate selected constituents of a mixtureâ€"are essential to the chemical, petroleum refining, and materials processing industries. In this volume, an expert panel reviews the separation process needs of seven industries and identifies technologies that hold promise for meeting these needs, as well as key technologies that could enable separations. In addition, the book recommends criteria for the selection of separations research projects for the Department of Energy's Office of Industrial Technology.

As the key component in aluminum production, bauxite has become one of the most important minerals of the last one hundred years. To some it brought economic and political advantage, but for many others, its development left a legacy of exploitation. Aluminum Ore explores the history of bauxite in the twentieth century and the global forces that this history represents, from its strategic development in the First World War to its role in the globalization of markets as companies from the northern hemisphere vied for the resources of the south. Featuring essays by scholars from around the world, this wide-ranging collection is a history of one essential mineral and a new perspective on a time of change.

The rapid growth of the aluminium (or aluminum) industry during the last hundred years reflects the status of aluminium as the quintessentially modern metal. Given its impact on every facet of modern life, its aptitude for academic analysis is only rivaled by the versatility of the metal in industrial application. In the 19th century, aluminium was the source of luxury goods for the rich few, but during World War I, it was subjected to strategic considerations by belligerent states, becoming a warfare metal. It remained a military-strategic metal well into the 1950s before it regained a position as a metal for civilian consumption, this time for the masses. From Warfare to Welfare takes a historical approach, informed by an institutionalist perspective, to elucidate the political economy of the aluminium industry in the 20th century. The book is structured as a series of analyses of the interactions between the state and the corporations in different countries. By looking at business-government relationships, the book provides a better grasp on the linkages between the aluminium industry and the two key features of the history of the 20th century: the rise of the industrial warfare state and its subsequent replacement by the welfare state. (Series: ROSTRA Books Trondheim Studies in History - No. 9)

Aluminium is an important metal in manufacturing, due to its versatile properties and the many applications of both the processed metal and its alloys in different industries. Fundamentals of aluminium metallurgy provides a comprehensive overview of the production, properties and processing of aluminium, and its applications in manufacturing industries. Part one discusses different methods of producing and casting aluminium, covering areas such as casting of alloys, quality issues and specific production methods such as high-pressure diecasting. The metallurgical properties of aluminium and its alloys are reviewed in Part two, with chapters on such topics as hardening, precipitation processes and solute partitioning and clustering, as well as properties such as fracture resistance. Finally, Part three includes chapters on joining, laser sintering and other methods of processing aluminium, and its applications in particular areas of industry such as aerospace. With its distinguished editor and team of expert contributors, Fundamentals of aluminium metallurgy is a standard reference for researchers in metallurgy, as well as all those involved in the manufacture and use of aluminium products. Provides a comprehensive overview of the production, properties and processing of aluminium, and its applications in manufacturing industries Considers many issues of central importance in aluminium production and utilization considering quality issues and design for fatigue growth resistance Metallurgical properties of aluminium and its alloys are further explored with particular reference to work hardening and applications of industrial alloys

A consultant with McKinsey & Company surveys the international aluminum industry and asks why its various activities are divided among firms in the way that they are. These components include the minding of bauxite, its refining into alumina, aluminum smelting, fabrication, and manufacture of the final product. What is it about this industry that encourages joint ventures in some cases, long-term contracts in others, and vertical integration and merger in still others? The author identifies and analyzes the factors which motivate firms to adopt one or another of these patterns of doing business. He draws on and extends recent developments in theory relating to the operation of markets and organizations, and tests the power of theories to explain what is observed in the industry. He has assembled a great deal of empirical evidence, focusing on the United States, Japan, and Australia. The book should become the standard study of the aluminum industry.