Why is aluminum commonly used for electrical wires?
Aluminum conductors cabled around a steel support wire are commonly used for large high voltage transmission lines because aluminum is much less expensive than copper. The steel support wire is needed because aluminum has relatively low tensile strength. Low voltage household, office, and factory electric wires are usually copper, which does not have the corrosion problems common to aluminum wires.
Thank you Is it possible to do the wiring in aluminum or is that old school?
Today the only use of aluminum wire is in service entrances and underground feeds where the larger sizes are needed. By using aluminum the overall project wire costs are kept to a minimum even with the bigger size needed over copper. Wiring branch circuit in aluminum has not been vogue for many years now.
Why recycling aluminum?
Aluminum is widely used for many things, so there is a constant need for it. Recycling used aluminum goods into new aluminum takes only a fraction of the energy needed to smelt new aluminum from bauxite ore. Hence, recycling aluminum is "green" in two ways: It reduces energy use, and it preserved the deposits of aluminum ore (bauxite) still in the ground.
How do you convince your family school or community to recycled aluminum cans?
People are far more likely to recycle if a recycling container is conveniently located where they usually consume their beverages, especially if they don't have to empty it. It might also help to inform them that it takes a tremendous amount of electricity to separate aluminum from bauxite, the ore in which aluminum exists in nature. Much, much less energy is needed to recover aluminum from existing aluminum products, like cans.