Aluminum, the silvery-white metal that has become indispensable to modern life, has a history as remarkable as its properties. From its origins as a precious metal more valuable than gold to its current status as the most widely used non-ferrous metal in the world, aluminum’s journey reflects humanity’s evolving understanding of chemistry, metallurgy, and industrial innovation. Despite being the most abundant metal in Earth’s crust, aluminum remained hidden from human use for millennia, locked away in chemical bonds that resisted all attempts at extraction. This is the story of how aluminum transformed from an elusive element known only through its compounds to a material that shapes our everyday lives—from the cans that hold our beverages to the aircraft that carry us across continents, from the smartphones in our pockets to the buildings that define our skylines. The history of aluminum is not merely a tale of scientific discovery, but a narrative of human ingenuity, industrial revolution, and the relentless pursuit of progress that continues to drive innovation today.

Be sure to check out all other critical raw materials (CRMs), as well.

A History Of Aluminum

The story of aluminum spans over two millennia, from the ancient use of its compounds to its emergence as the backbone of modern industry. This chronological journey reveals how humanity gradually unlocked the secrets of Earth’s most abundant metal, transforming it from an unknown element to an essential material that has revolutionized transportation, packaging, construction, and countless other fields. Each milestone in aluminum’s history represents a breakthrough in human knowledge and capability, building upon previous discoveries to create the aluminum age we live in today.

Chronology

• 5th century BCE – Greek historian Herodotus makes the first written record of alum, an aluminum compound used as a dyeing mordant, in medicine, in chemical milling, and as a fire-resistant coating for wood to protect fortresses from enemy arson. [1]
• 3rd century CE – Analysis of a metal ornament found in the tomb of Chou-Chu, a military leader in China, reveals it to be 85% aluminum. [3]
• 1807 – Humphry Davy proposes the name “alumium” for aluminum, the undiscovered metal. [4]
• 1808 – Humphry Davy identifies the existence of a metal base of alum, which he names aluminum. [1, 5, 6]
• 1811 – Jöns Jakob Berzelius adds aluminum to his classification of elements. [7]
• 1812 – Humphry Davy’s written usage of the word “aluminum” establishes this spelling. [8]
• 1813 – American chemist Benjamin Silliman obtains small granules of aluminum which immediately burn. [1]
• 1821 – Pierre Berthier discovers bauxite containing 52% aluminum oxide near Les Baux in southern France. [1, 2, 9]
• 1824 – Jons Jacob Berzelius creates synthetic cryolite, essential for aluminum production. [2]
• 1825 – Hans Christian Ørsted produces minute quantities of aluminum using potassium amalgam with aluminum chloride, becoming the first to isolate aluminum. [1, 2, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14]
• 1826 – Ørsted writes that “aluminium has a metallic luster and somewhat grayish color” describing aluminum. [1]
• 1827 – Friedrich Wöhler produces aluminum as a powder by reacting potassium with anhydrous aluminum chloride, obtaining 30 grams of aluminum. [1, 2, 5, 9, 15]
• 1845 – Wöhler establishes the specific gravity of aluminum and isolates solid aluminum metal. [2, 12]
• 1854 – Henri Sainte-Claire Deville improves aluminum production methods. Robert Wilhelm Bunsen and Deville independently develop aluminum extraction by electrolysis. [1, 2, 7, 16]
• 1855 – Aluminum is displayed at Paris International Exposition as “silver from clay.” Louis Le Chatelier invents economical alumina production for aluminum. Deville begins industrial aluminum production with Tissier brothers in Rouen. [1, 2, 5]
• 1856 – Henri Étienne Sainte-Claire Deville initiates first industrial aluminum production. [1]
• 1859 – Scientific American reports aluminum price drops from $18 to $1 per ounce. [2]
• 1865 – Danish government offers cryolite mining concessions in Greenland for aluminum production. [2]
• 1883 – Charles S. Bradley files U.S. patent for aluminum production using electric arc. Bauxite for aluminum discovered in Georgia. [2]
• 1884 – Washington Monument capped with 100-ounce aluminum pyramid. [2]
• 1885 – Hamilton Y. Castner achieves 15-ton annual aluminum output. [2]
• 1886 – Charles Martin Hall and Paul Héroult independently discover electrolytic aluminum production process. Héroult files French patent July 9; Hall files American patent April 23, 1887. [1, 2, 5, 6, 9, 17, 18]
• 1887 – Aluminum price drops to $8 per pound. [2]
• 1888 – Hall co-founds Pittsburgh Reduction Company (later Alcoa). Aluminium Industry Joint Stock Company established in Switzerland. [15, 17]
• 1889 – Karl Josef Bayer invents Bayer process for alumina production from bauxite for aluminum manufacturing. Aluminum price falls to $2 per pound. Paul Héroult establishes Swiss aluminum company. [2, 17]
• 1890 – Both “aluminum” and “aluminium” spellings common in United States. [8]
• 1891 – Pittsburgh Reduction Company wins aluminum patent lawsuit against Cowles Electric. [2]
• 1895 – “Aluminum” spelling dominates American usage. [8]
• 1898 – Aluminum price falls to $1 per kilogram. [6]
• 1900 – World aluminum production reaches 6,800 metric tons; U.S. produces 2,296 tons. “Aluminum” becomes standard U.S. spelling. [2, 8, 19, 20]
• 1903 – Alfred Wilm discovers Duralumin. Wright Brothers use aluminum engine parts for first powered flight December 17. [1, 21, 22]
• 1906 – Alfred Wilm develops Duralumin structural alloy. [21]
• 1907 – Alcoa creates aluminum foil. [1]
• 1909 – Robert Victor Neher invents continuous aluminum foil rolling. Duralumin introduced commercially. [1, 23]
• 1910 – Neher founds first foil rolling plant in Switzerland. [1]
• 1913 – U.S. aluminum production reaches 13,000 tons. [20]
• 1914 – Charles Martin Hall and Paul Héroult both die at age 51. [17]
• 1915 – U.S. aluminum production surges to 52,210 tons during World War I. [20]
• 1916 – World aluminum production exceeds 100,000 metric tons. Hugo Junkers introduces duralumin in aircraft. [8, 19, 23]
• 1919 – Germany replaces silver coins with aluminum. [1]
• 1920 – World aluminum production reaches 128,000 tons. [2]
• 1921 – J. Fogh reconstructs Ørsted’s experiments, confirming aluminum isolation. [7]
• 1925 – American Chemical Society adopts “aluminum” spelling. [8]
• 1926 – Niels Bjerrum reinstates Ørsted as aluminum discoverer. [10]
• 1931 – First aluminum freight cars appear. [1]
• 1932 – Verot et Perrin develops aluminum bicycle crank arms. [23]
• 1934 – Haubtmann releases aluminum bicycle crankset. [23]
• 1938 – World aluminum production reaches 537,000 tons. [2]
• 1939 – U.S. aluminum production is 149,000 tons. [20]
• 1940 – Ørsted recognized as aluminum discoverer by most chemists. [10]
• 1941 – World aluminum production exceeds 1,000,000 tons. [8]
• 1943 – U.S. aluminum production reaches 835,000 tons during World War II. [20]
• 1946 – World aluminum production is 681,000 tons. [2]
• 1948 – Real aluminum price falls to $2,340 per metric ton. [1, 8]
• 1954 – Swanson & Sons introduces aluminum TV dinner tray. World aluminum production surpasses copper at 2,810,000 metric tons. [1, 2]
• 1957 – Soviet Union launches Sputnik 1 with aluminum components October 4. [23]
• 1958 – Hawaii Brewing Company introduces first all-aluminum beverage can. [24]
• 1959 – Adolph Coors Company introduces recyclable aluminum can January 22. Ermal Fraze invents pull-tab opener. [25, 26, 27, 28]
• 1960 – Coors begins aluminum can recycling program. [25]
• 1963 – Ernie Fraze invents aluminum easy-open tab. [18]
• 1965 – Coors builds aluminum can manufacturing plant. [26]
• 1966 – World Trade Center construction begins using aluminum facade. [29]
• 1969 – Apollo 11 lands on Moon July 20 using aluminum extensively in spacecraft and Saturn V rocket. [30, 31]
• 1970 – World Trade Center North Tower completed. [32]
• 1971 – Coors discontinues steel cans November 12. World aluminum production exceeds 10,000,000 tons. [8, 26]
• 1972 – World Trade Center South Tower completed with aluminum alloy facade. International Aluminium Institute established. [33, 34]
• 1973 – World Trade Center dedicated April 4. [35]
• 1975 – Reynolds Metals invents stay-tab aluminum can. [36]
• 1978 – Aluminum enters London Metal Exchange as traded commodity. [8, 37]
• 1980 – U.S. aluminum production peaks at 4.65 million tons. [19]
• 1981 – Space Shuttle Columbia launches with aluminum construction. [38]
• 1990 – IUPAC adopts “aluminium” as international standard. [8]
• 1993 – IUPAC recognizes “aluminum” as acceptable variant. [8]
• 1997 – World aluminum production reaches 22 million tons primary, 7 million tons recycled. [2]
• 1999 – U.S. reaches peak total aluminum production at 7.48 million tons. [39]
• 2000 – China produces 13% of global primary aluminum. [19]
• 2001 – World Trade Center destroyed September 11; aluminum facade melts in fires. [40, 41]
• 2005 – IUPAC nomenclature acknowledges both aluminum spellings. [8]
• 2008 – Aluminum crowntainer design adopted for beverage packaging. [28]
• 2010 – China’s aluminum production reaches 40% of global output. [1, 8]
• 2012 – NASA launches Mars Curiosity rover with aluminum body. [38]
• 2013 – World aluminum production exceeds 50,000,000 metric tons. [8]
• 2014 – NASA launches Orion spacecraft with aluminum-lithium alloy. [38]
• 2018 – ELYSIS joint venture created for zero-emission aluminum smelting. World production reaches record 63,600,000 metric tons. [1, 42]
• 2021 – China produces 39 million tonnes of aluminum, 57% of worldwide capacity. Mars Perseverance rover with aluminum components achieves powered flight on Mars. [19, 38]
• 2023 – China produces record 41.5 million tonnes of aluminum. World aluminum production estimated at 105 million tons total. [19, 39]
• 2024 – U.S. aluminum production is 84% secondary, 16% primary. [39]
• 2025 – Nearly 75% of all aluminum ever produced remains in use. [36]

Final Thoughts

As we stand in 2025, aluminum’s journey from laboratory curiosity to global commodity reflects humanity’s remarkable capacity for innovation and adaptation. What began as a metal so precious that Napoleon III reportedly served his most honored guests with aluminum cutlery has evolved into a material so ubiquitous that we barely notice its presence in our daily lives. The transformation is staggering: from Ørsted’s tiny sample in 1825 to today’s annual production exceeding 100 million tons worldwide. Yet aluminum’s story is far from complete. As we face the challenges of climate change and resource sustainability, aluminum’s unique properties—its lightness, strength, conductivity, and especially its infinite recyclability—position it as a critical material for the future.

The recent development of zero-emission smelting technology and the fact that three-quarters of all aluminum ever produced remains in use today point toward a more sustainable future. From enabling the first powered flight to making space exploration possible, from revolutionizing packaging to reshaping our cities’ skylines, aluminum has proven itself as the metal of modern civilization. As we continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible—whether in electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, or missions to Mars—aluminum will undoubtedly remain at the forefront of human innovation, a testament to what we can achieve when curiosity meets perseverance.

Thanks for reading!

References

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[2] Aluminum Timelines: A Historical Overview – https://montana-aluminum.com/timelines-2/timelines/

[3] Aluminium – Element information, properties and uses | Periodic Table – https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/13/aluminium

[4] WebElements Periodic Table » Aluminium » historical information – https://www.webelements.com/aluminium/history.html

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[7] Who Discovered Aluminium – and why is that such a difficult question? – https://www.jargonium.com/post/who-discovered-aluminium-and-why-is-that-such-a-difficult-question

[8] Aluminium – Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium

[9] The History of Aluminium – INAL – https://inal.com/resources/aluminium-facts/the-history-of-aluminium/

[10] H. C. Ørsted discovered aluminium, but he did not take his discovery seriously – https://www.sciencenordic.com/chemistry-denmark-science-history/h-c-orsted-discovered-aluminium-but-he-did-not-take-his-discovery-seriously/1674429

[11] C&EN: IT’S ELEMENTAL: THE PERIODIC TABLE – ALUMINUM – https://pubsapp.acs.org/cen/80th/print/aluminum.html

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[19] Decline of U.S. Primary Aluminum Production and the Growth of Secondary Aluminum – Light Metal Age Magazine – https://www.lightmetalage.com/news/industry-news/smelting/decline-of-u-s-primary-aluminum-production-and-the-growth-of-secondary-aluminum/

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[21] THE WRIGHT 1903 ENGINE PART 1 | Simanaitis Says – https://simanaitissays.com/2018/07/31/the-wright-1903-engine-part-1/

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[25] The Man Behind the Aluminum Can – Urban Conversion – http://www.urbanconversion.com/the-man-behind-the-aluminum-can/

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[33] National September 11th Memorial & Museum Collection – https://collection.911memorial.org/Detail/objects/6192

[34] The key milestones in the development of today’s modern … – https://www.international-aluminium.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/50-Moments.pdf

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[37] LME Aluminium – Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LME_Aluminium

[38] NASA Takes Aluminum to the Final Frontier – https://www.aluminum.org/nasa-takes-aluminum-final-frontier

[39] The Rise and Fall of U.S. Primary Aluminum Production (1900-2024) – https://www.voronoiapp.com/economy/-The-Rise-and-Fall-of-US-Primary-Aluminum-Production-1900-2024-1681

[40] New theory explains collapse of World Trade Center’s Twin Towers | ScienceDaily – https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110921074747.htm

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