Aluminum and steel are pillars of the metal manufacturing industry. Both aluminum and steel are synthetic alloys; in other words, they don’t appear in nature and must be created using other basic elements. Aluminum must go through ha few phases before it appears like the shiny silver metal that you’re familiar with. The base ingredient of aluminum is a mineral called bauxite, which is mined primarily in tropical areas. The bauxite is ground into a thick paste called alumina, which is then smelted with molten cryolite and shocked with electricity. The ions separate, and the residual liquid cools and becomes aluminum.
