metallic chemical element of silvery appearance with symbol Al and atomic number 13
Aluminium is a substitute for copper in selected electrical applications. Aluminium is also an alloying element for copper and vice versa. Sometimes, copper and aluminium are combined in composite products (Copper-Clad Aluminium or CCA). Aluminium and copper are almost always used together in different components within a product or system. For example, an induction motor might use aluminium for its casing and for its rotor, while the winding will use copper. As a result, even when using state of the art shredding and sorting technology, some aluminium or copper will show up in each metal's recycling streams.