Aluminum Etc.: Why I love aluminum welding

Gina Cutts shares what she loves most about working with aluminum. Image: Khoa Nguyen, South Seattle Community College

I get excited about aluminum. Some folks might find that weird, but in my opinion, more people should be interested in and excited about it. After all, it’s an element that is used by just about every person on this planet every day. I suppose it is so commonly used in industries now that most people don’t even give a thought to how it came to be.

Although aluminum makes up 8% of the Earth’s crust, it does not occur as a metal in its natural state. Aluminum ore, also known as bauxite, is mined and then chemically refined to produce the intermediate product known as aluminum oxide. Once it is in this state, that is where the fun begins. In very nontechnical terms, vats of aluminum oxide are electrocuted, forcing the aluminum to bubble to the surface. From there we use it to make all sorts of things, from pop cans to the engines in the space shuttle.

At one point in time, aluminum was considered more precious than gold or silver. Owning aluminum plates to serve dinner to guests as Napoleon did was a sign of extreme wealth. That perception changed when the process of refining aluminum was discovered in the mid-1800s, making it more readily available. As a result, all modern advances in the last 200 years have ties to aluminum. For example, without aluminum the Wright brothers wouldn't have been able to build a biplane light enough to fly.

In today's world, aluminum continues to be the go-to material for much of what industries are trying to produce. The consumer applications of aluminum are endless, and because it is 100% recyclable, its possibilities to be reused are infinite. This is good for the ecosystem and economies!

Also, aluminum is pretty. When I am welding aluminum, I find the weld pool to be mesmerizing. I am never in a hurry to end an aluminum weld. A lot of times an aluminum weld is placed for penetration (sealant) and then milled off, so you might never know there’s a weld there. Although I understand the reason for it, it does hurt my heart a bit.

What do you love about welding aluminum? What do you find challenging about preparing or welding it? I look forward to your feedback.