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- Aluminum compounds have been in use for thousands of years.
- Extracting aluminum was difficult until the late 1800s.
- New extraction and smelting methods made aluminum commonplace.
- 1890s aluminum cookware began replacing copper and cast iron.
- Aluminum became building materials in passenger boats, railroad cars, and automobiles.
History Timeline
- 1821 Discovery of bauxite
- 1825 Aluminum extraction by electrolysis
- 1866-1888 Hall Heroult and Bayer processes, Smelter established in Pittsburgh. Later becomes Alcoa.
- 1889 Aluminum cookware begins to replace copper and cast iron
- 1891-1906 Boats, railroad cars, automobiles, and airplanes begin using aluminum
- 1907 First production of aluminum foil
- 1911 Tobler uses aluminum foil in chocolate bar packaging
- 1917 first airplane with aluminum body produced
- 1931 Empire State Building first to feature extensive use of aluminum in design, and first aluminum railcars appear
- 1958 First aluminum beverage can
- 1967 Coke and Pepsi begin using aluminum cans
- 1970 First jumbo aircraft, the 747, with over 60 tons of aluminum per plane
- 1994 First car produced with aluminum chassis
- 2007 Apple iPhone introduced with aluminum/steel/glass/plastic body
- 2015 Most popular truck, Ford F150, lightened by 700 lbs. using aluminum
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