Aluminum TH72M

Aluminum is a very light metal with a whitish-gray color, a very good conductor of electricity, widely used in electrical engineering and in the form of alloys in the aviation industry and many other applications.

Aluminum finds application mainly due to its relatively substantial chemical resistance and low weight. Therefore, its alloys are used to make, for example, some small coins, as well as common kitchenware and cutlery. After being rolled into a thin foil, it is encountered under the name aluminum foil for thermal food preparation or as protective packaging material for various applications. In construction, pressed aluminum profiles are used to produce, for example, windows and doors. Together with silver, aluminum serves in the form of a very thin foil as a recording medium in compact discs (CDs) for sound recording or as a storage medium in computing technology. This layer is typically vapor-deposited onto a plastic substrate using a quiet electric discharge in a vacuum.

Given its relatively good electrical conductivity, aluminum is used as a material for electrical conductors. However, compared to the use of copper, it has some disadvantages: Aluminum is more brittle, and the conductor can break easily with repeated bending. When current passes through, it heats up and expands. If the aluminum conductor is mechanically connected with another conductor, for example, using a screw, this expansion cannot occur equally in all directions. If the connection is not optimally designed, the soft aluminum will plastically deform. When cooling, that is, when the current stops flowing through the conductor, it contracts uniformly in all directions, causing the screwed contacts to somewhat loosen, which increases their contact resistance, subsequently leading to increased heating. Additionally, the aluminum conductor becomes coated with a layer of non-conductive Al2O3 due to the action of atmospheric oxygen, further increasing the contact resistance between the conductor and the terminal. Therefore, aluminum contacts should be regularly tightened, to reduce the risk of fire.

We must not forget about aluminum alloys. One of them is an alloy called TH72M. This aluminum alloy was developed by the company DAC and is used primarily in outdoor environments. Everywhere maximum strength and minimum weight is required. It is also not uncommon for this aluminum alloy to appear in extreme locations, as its properties predetermine it for these conditions.