Production of light non-ferrous metals. Aluminium

Aluminium is the most abundant metal in the earth's crust. Its natural

compounds have been known for centuries, and, in fact, the use of some of them

for dyeing purposes was described by Pliny nearly 2000 years ago. Yet, it was not until 1825 that the metal was isolated for the first time. More than 60 years elapsed after this first discovery before the metal was made in sufficient quantities and at sufficiently low price to enable it to take its place among the ordinary metals of commerce.