#alumin

• Alum — A double hydrated sulfate of aluminum and an alkali metal (usually potassium), with the general chemical formula KAl(SO4)2·12H2O, crystallizing in the cubic system; a structural substance with potent astringent, hemostatic, and antiseptic properties, traditionally known as alum. In industry, it is widely used as a mordant in dyeing, a tanning agent in leather processing, a clarifying agent for water purification, and in cosmetics as a natural antiperspirant due to its capacity to contract tissues and inhibit bacterial proliferation.
• Aldural — The commercial or technical name of a special metallic alloy based on aluminum, copper, and magnesium, similar to duralumin, used in the aircraft and machinery industries due to its low weight and exceptional mechanical strength. Structurally, this material undergoes artificial aging heat treatments to optimize its elastic properties and surface hardness.
• Algraphy — A planographic printing process analogous to lithography, in which the traditional lithographic stone is replaced by a chemically prepared flexible aluminum plate. In graphic arts, the term describes a technique enabling faithful reproduction of drawings, acting as a precursor to modern offset printing.
• Aluminizing — A thermochemical surface treatment process applied to steel or iron parts, consisting of saturating the surface layer with aluminum via diffusion at high temperatures to enhance heat and corrosion resistance.
• Alitic — Pertaining to or containing bauxite or free aluminum hydroxides; characteristic of weathering processes in humid tropical climates that lead to alumina accumulation. In cement chemistry, it describes a phase or clinker structure predominantly composed of alite.
• Alnico — A hard ferromagnetic alloy composed primarily of aluminum, nickel, and cobalt, to which varying percentages of iron, copper, or titanium may be added. This structural material is characterized by high remanent magnetic induction and excellent thermal stability, being widely used in industry for manufacturing permanent magnets for electric motors, audio speakers, and precision sensors.
• Allophane — An amorphous or poorly crystalline hydrated aluminum silicate mineral, often associated with the weathering of volcanic rocks and ash deposits in humid environments. This structural compound exhibits a variable chemical composition and a gelatinous or vitreous texture, holding significant importance in soil science due to its high cation exchange capacity and phosphate-fixing ability in andosols.
• Allophane — Minerals from the hydrated aluminum silicate class, amorphous or poorly crystalline, which form structurally through the weathering of volcanic rocks (ash and basalt) under the action of meteoric waters; they are characterized by high porosity and a large ion-exchange capacity, being specific to andosol-type soils.
• Aloxite — A commercial or technical designation attributed to a type of artificial corundum (crystallized aluminum oxide), obtained by melting bauxite in specialized electric furnaces. This abrasive material stands out structurally due to its extremely high hardness and thermal resistance, widely utilized in industry for manufacturing grinding wheels, sandpaper, and cutting discs for hard metals.
• Alpax — A commercial or technical designation attributed to a cast aluminum-silicon alloy (silumin), typically containing between 10% and 13% silicon; a very lightweight metallic material that stands out structurally due to its excellent fluidity in a molten state, low contraction upon solidification, and high resistance to corrosion. In industry, it is widely utilized for manufacturing complex cast components for automotive engines, aviation, and pump casings.
• Alumina root — An archaic form or obsolete neologism traditionally used in Romanian chemical and mineralogical terminology to denote aluminum oxide (alumina) or as a structural root in naming compounds (such as hydrides or salts derived from aluminum); in common usage, it is assimilated as a partial variant or misspelling of 'alumină' or 'aluminat'.
• Alumina — Aluminum oxide in its native state or obtained industrially from bauxite; it presents as a white powder, insoluble in water, with a very high melting point, serving as the core raw material for producing metallic aluminum and refractory ceramic materials.
• Aluminizing — The act of aluminizing or coating the surface of an object (metal, glass, mirror) with a thin protective layer of aluminum, achieved through spraying, vacuum deposition, or galvanic processes to enhance reflectivity or corrosion resistance.
• Aluminate — A salt of aluminic acid formed by the reaction of aluminum or its oxide with a strong base (e.g., sodium aluminate). As an adjective or past participle, it describes a substance or material that has been treated or structurally combined with aluminum (such as aluminate cement).
• Aluminiferous — Containing or producing aluminum or its compounds (especially alumina or alum); refers to soils, rocks, or mineral deposits rich in aluminum minerals.
• Aluminite — A rare mineral belonging to the class of hydrated aluminum sulfates, with the chemical formula Al2(SO4)(OH)4·7H2O; it occurs as earthy masses, white nodules, or chalky aggregates, formed by the alteration of aluminum-rich rocks in the presence of acidic solutions.
• Aluminite form — Feminine form or rare terminological variant for the mineral 'aluminite'; also, in some obsolete technical works, it designated a sedimentary or clay rock heavily impregnated with aluminum compounds.
• Aluminum — A chemical element with atomic number 13 and symbol Al; it is a silvery-white, lightweight metal in the boron group, remarkable for its low density, malleability, high electrical and thermal conductivity, and excellent corrosion resistance due to a protective oxide layer.
• Aluminium — An international spelling variant or direct adoption from scientific Latin, English, or French for the word 'aluminiu'; sometimes used in historical chemical works or technical tables to designate the metal with atomic number 13.
• To aluminize — To coat the surface of an object (metal, glass, mirror) with a thin protective layer of aluminum, achieved through spraying, vacuum deposition, or galvanic processes to enhance reflectivity or corrosion resistance.