If offered a bag of gold or a bag of aluminum, what would you take? Nowadays you would, of course, take the bag of gold. It seems like a no-brainer decision. However, a couple of centuries ago, you would be foolish to choose that bag of gold. Aluminum was in hot demand back in those rank and file days, considered more precious than almost any metal on God’s green earth.
In today’s world where people seem like they’re always gold-hungry, aluminum seems as plentiful as the air we breathe. It wasn’t always that away, though, according to the proud people at The Aluminum Association. “The story of aluminum’s history of use in the U.S. now stretches over 100 years. The start was a modest one, however. Because of the complexities of refining aluminum from ore, aluminum was considered more rare and precious than gold or silver through most of the 19th century.”
Back then, aluminum was seen as a treasured metal, to be honored and held with great care. Our attitudes have definitely changed over the years, as aluminum is far more common. But aluminum is still a very important part of our lives. The first President of the French Republic, Napoleon III, served his own dinner on aluminum. His guests were served food on the equivalent of paper plates: dishes made with gold or silver.
Funny how things change over the years, isn’t it? But The Aluminum Association is confident regarding the future of aluminum. They write, “Used in packaging, automotive, energy, construction, transportation, aerospace and defense applications, to name a few – aluminum’s impact is so profound that historians may one day look back on our times and declare this “The Age of Aluminum.”
What do you think? Will our age one day be considered “The Age of Aluminum”?