It All Starts with Dirt. This kind of dirt is called bauxite ore. From four tons of bauxite, it’s possible to refine about two tons of alumina—a powdery white oxide of aluminum. And from those two tons of alumina, we can smelt a ton of aluminum. Smelting aluminum was the invention that launched Alcoa in 1888. A ton of aluminum is enough to make the cans for over 60,000 Cokes, Pepsis, or Buds. Enough to make the spaceframes for seven full-size cars. Enough to make 40,000 computer memory disks, capable of storing all the books ever published. All from a truckload of dirt. It’s almost magical. And we’re proud to have the magicians who can pull it off.

There’s no other material quite like aluminum

it is light in weight
highly resistant to corrosion
strong in alloys
an excellent conductor of electricity and heat
an excellent reflector of heat and light
nonmagnetic
nontoxic
outstanding in cryogenic properties
highly workable
easy to assemble
and naturally good looking.