May 14, 2025
Science

How did aluminum once become more valuable than gold, but then things changed?

  • April 20, 2024
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Aluminum, the third most abundant element in the Earth’s crust, is not just in our everyday items; It is also used in many industries. a lot at the

How did aluminum once become more valuable than gold, but then things changed?

Aluminum, the third most abundant element in the Earth’s crust, is not just in our everyday items; It is also used in many industries. a lot at the moment cost efficient This metal, which was widely used because it was a metal, was actually an Indian fabric that was previously unavailable!

Aluminum, which took a long time to become useful, was once there It was more valuable than silver and even gold.

Today there is no one who does not know the importance of gold and silver.

gold

Gold, silver and platinum We often come across metals like What if we told you that aluminum once belonged to this prestigious group of metals?

Yes, you read that correctly. Aluminum was quite rare in the past and for this reason it was very valuable. If we look at history, it goes back to the 19th century. Even after it was discovered and isolated by scientists, aluminum was considered an extremely rare and extremely valuable metal.

The surprise that Roman Emperor Tiberius experienced when he saw aluminum helps us understand its rarity and value.

aluminium

Nowadays we encounter him so often that he is no longer that It doesn’t seem valuable to us. But once upon a time it wasn’t something people could easily achieve. In the early 19th century, its pure form was very rare and of course very expensive.

In those times technological limitations in production, making it a symbol of luxury and prestige. Especially Emperor of France III. Napoleon tried to impress his guests by using aluminum plates at special events, King Christian of Denmark wore his crown made of aluminum and the Washington Monument was built with an aluminum capstone.

But unlike all this value of aluminumwas reversed by a major discovery in the mid-19th century.

Although noble metals generally have more non-reactive structures, aluminum was a reactive metal and very difficult to find in pure form.

in 1886 Hall-Heroult electrolytic process Its development completely solved this problem by making aluminum smelting cheap, fast and easy to adapt to industrial-scale production.

Insulating aluminum while maintaining its purity and it took many, many years before a suitable process for commercial purposes was developed. What made it so valuable was its rarity. Over time, the development of this process facilitated the production of aluminum and dramatically reduced its cost.

While his rarity once propelled him to the top, it does now With modern production techniques and industrial use Aluminum has become an integral part of our daily lives, replacing first place with gold.

Sources: The Atlantic, Slate

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