An Aluminum can (British English: Tin can) is a

single-use A disposable (also called disposable product) is a product designed for a single use after which it is recycled or is disposed as solid waste. The term is also sometimes used for products that may last several months (e.g. disposable air filte ...

container for packaging made primarily of

aluminum Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It ha ...

. It is commonly used for food and beverages such as milk and soup but also for products such as oil, chemicals, and other liquids. Global production is 180 billion annually and constitutes the largest single use of aluminum globally.

Usage

Use of aluminum in cans began in 1957. Aluminum offers greater malleability, resulting in ease of manufacture; this gave rise to the two-piece can, where all but the top of the can is simply stamped out of a single piece of aluminum, rather than constructed from two pieces of steel. The inside of the can is lined by spray coating an epoxy lacquer or polymer to protect the aluminum from being corroded by acidic contents such as carbonated beverages and imparting a metallic taste to the beverage. The epoxy may contain bisphenol A. A

label A label (as distinct from signage) is a piece of paper, plastic film, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or product, on which is written or printed information or symbols about the product or item. Information printed ...

is either printed directly on the side of the can or will be glued to the outside of the curved surface, indicating its contents. Most aluminum cans are made of two pieces. The bottom and body are "drawn" or "drawn and ironed" from a flat plate or shallow cup. After filling, the can "end" is sealed onto the top of the can. This is supplemented by a sealing compound to ensure that the top is air tight. The advantages of aluminum over steel (

tinplate Tinplate consists of sheets of steel coated with a thin layer of tin to impede rusting. Before the advent of cheap milled steel, the backing metal was wrought iron. While once more widely used, the primary use of tinplate now is the manufacture ...

) cans include; * light weight * competitive cost * usage of easy-open aluminum ends: no need for a

can opener A can opener (in North American English and Australian English) or tin opener (used in British English) is a mechanical device used to open tin cans (metal cans). Although preservation of food using tin cans had been practiced since at leas ...

* clean appearance * aluminum does not rust * easy to press into shape The easy-open aluminum end for beverage cans was developed by Alcoa in 1962 for the Pittsburgh Brewing Company and is now used in nearly all of the canned beer market.

Recycling

Aluminum cans can be made with recycled aluminum. In 2017, 3.8 million tons of aluminum were generated in the US of which 0.62 million tons were recycled - a recycling rate of 16%. According to estimates from the

Aluminum Association The Aluminum Association is an Apex body for catering all needs of Aluminum and Aluminum products. The Aluminum Association is a trade association for the aluminum production, fabrication and recycling industries, and their suppliers. The Associ ...

, a large amount of aluminium remains unrecycled in the US, where roughly $700 million worth of cans end up in landfills each year. In 2012, 92% of the aluminum beverage cans sold in Switzerland were recycled. Cans are the most recycled beverage container, at a rate of 69% worldwide. One issue is that the top of the can is made from a blend of aluminum and

magnesium Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg and atomic number 12. It is a shiny gray metal having a low density, low melting point and high chemical reactivity. Like the other alkaline earth metals (group 2 of the periodic ta ...

to increase its strength. When the can is melted for recycling, the mixture is unsuitable for either the top or the bottom/side. Instead of mixing recycled metal with more aluminum (to soften it) or magnesium (to harden it), a new approach uses annealing to produce an alloy that works for both. The aluminum can is also considered the most valuable recyclable material in an average recycling bin. It is estimated that Americans throw away nearly 1 billion dollars a year in wasted aluminum. The aluminum industry pays nearly 800 million dollars a year for recycled aluminum since it is so versatile. Because of the advantages of aluminium packaging (

shelf life Shelf life is the length of time that a commodity may be stored without becoming unfit for use, consumption, or sale. In other words, it might refer to whether a commodity should no longer be on a pantry shelf (unfit for use), or no longer on a ...

durability Durability is the ability of a physical product to remain functional, without requiring excessive maintenance or repair, when faced with the challenges of normal operation over its design lifetime. There are several measures of durability in us ...

, food grade factor) over plastics, it is considered an alternative to

PET A pet, or companion animal, is an animal kept primarily for a person's company or entertainment rather than as a working animal, livestock, or a laboratory animal. Popular pets are often considered to have attractive appearances, intelligence ...

bottles, with the possibility of replacing the majority of them in the next decades.

Gallery

Images

File:Frühstücksfleisch 2009 (Alter Fritz) 02.JPG, Aluminum can of meat File:Drinking can ring-pull tab.jpg, Aluminum drinks can with stay-tab easy-opening. Note the can is narrowed at the top to allow for a smaller “end” File:EVEN THE PROSPECT OF A FIVE CENT REFUND PER "THROWAWAY" ALUMINUM CAN IN OREGON HAS NOT STOPPED LITTERING ENTIRELY.... - NARA - 555257.jpg, Discarded aluminum beverage cans marked with five-cent refund labeling per the

Oregon Bottle Bill The Oregon Bottle Bill is a container-deposit legislation enacted in the U.S. state of Oregon in 1971 that went into effect in October 1972. It was the first such legislation in the United States. It was amended in 2007 and 2011. It requires ...

, early 1970s File:Can opening mechanics from inside.jpg, An aluminum soda can opening mechanism viewed from the inside of the can

A video

File:The Ingenious Design of the Aluminum Beverage Can.webm, This video describes the engineering choices underlying the design of a beverage can

References

Bibliography

* Soroka, W, "Fundamentals of Packaging Technology", IoPP, 2002, * Yam, K. L., "Encyclopedia of Packaging Technology", John Wiley & Sons, 2009,

External links

The Aluminum Association
{{packaging Can Containers Food storage containers Aluminum objects