Uses of Aluminium, Copper, Zinc, Iron and Silver – Importance, Uses with Examples

Uses of Aluminium, Copper, Zinc, Iron, and Silver: Ancient human history is divided into two ages, namely, the stone age and the Metal age. Around 70007000 years ago, humans started making metal goods as they were more durable than stone goods that helped them in hunting, agriculture, and cultivation of crops. Thus, metals have been very important for our civilisation since ancient eras. Among all the known chemical elements in the world, almost 75%75% of them are categorised as metals. 

Metals are elements that have lustre, are malleable, ductile, dense, and good conductors of heat and electricity. In the periodic table, there are around 9494 metals. They are divided into different types based on their position in the periodic table. Alkali metals and alkaline earth metals are situated on the left-hand side of the periodic table; they are soft and highly reactive. The transition metals are found in the centre of the main body of the periodic table and are sometimes called heavy metals, and are denser than alkali or alkaline earth metals. Among all, some metals are very useful for mankind, like aluminium, copper, iron, silver, gold, zinc, platinum, and many more. In this article, we will focus on the uses of some important metals like aluminium, copper, zinc, iron, and silver.

What are the Uses of Aluminium?

1. Aluminium with the chemical symbol \(\left( {{\rm{Al}}} \right)\) is a soft, and very malleable and ductile metal with a silvery shining appearance having atomic number \(13\) and situated in the group-\(13\) of the Modern Periodic Table. It is very lightweight and a good conductor of heat and electricity. 
2. One of the major uses of aluminium is in manufacturing aircraft as it is lightweight and forms alloys with copper, manganese, magnesium and silicons that are strong enough to make aeroplane bodies and other mediums of transport. 
3. Due to its high thermal conductance, aluminium is a common household element used to make utensils to cook food. Aluminium foils and containers are used for food packaging.
4. Aluminium is used in manufacturing the body of electronic devices starting from laptops, tablets, smartphones, etc.

Uses of Aluminium Hydroxide

1. Aluminium hydroxide is a naturally occurring mineral as gibbsite (also known as hydrargillite), having the chemical formula \({\rm{Al}}{\left( {{\rm{OH}}} \right)_{\rm{3}}}\). Aluminium hydroxide is an antacid and is used to treat heartburn, acidity, upset stomach, sour stomach.
2. It is also used as a gel in cosmetic products.
3. \({\rm{Al}}{\left( {{\rm{OH}}} \right)_{\rm{3}}}\) is used as a raw material in manufacturing alumina that further helps in the production of aluminium metal.

Uses of Copper

Copper is a metal widely used in various aspects of life since prehistoric eras. Copper is situated in group \(11\) and period \(4\) of the Modern Periodic Table having atomic number \(29\), and its electronic configuration is \(\left[ {{\rm{Ar}}} \right]{\rm{3}}{{\rm{d}}^{{\rm{10}}}}{\rm{4}}{{\rm{s}}^{\rm{1}}}\). The various uses of Cu are:

1. Copper is an excellent conductor of electricity and has low resistivity. Its lower price makes it widely used in electrical appliances for power generation, power transmission, electronics circuits, making electric wires, cables, etc.

2. Due to its high thermal conductivity, high melting point and boiling point, and high ductility, copper is widely used in making kitchen utensils of various shapes and sizes.

3. Copper is widely used in power distribution systems because it can be readily joined by soldering, bolting, or adhesives. 

4. Copper metal is also used in making statues because of its ease of joining.

Copper Alloys

Copper alloys are very common and have a wide range of applications as they are more durable such as:

1. Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin.
2. Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc.
3. Nickel Silver is an alloy of copper, zinc, and nickel. 

Uses of Zinc

Zinc is a hard and brittle bluish-grey transition metal having atomic number \(30\). The electronic configuration of zinc is \(\left[ {{\rm{Ar}}} \right]{\rm{3}}{{\rm{d}}^{{\rm{10}}}}{\rm{4}}{{\rm{s}}^{\rm{2}}}\).

Different uses of zinc include: It is mostly used as an anti-rusting element in galvanisation in which iron or steel goods are immersed in molten zinc to add a zinc coating on them to prevent rusting. Since Zinc is more reactive than iron, it acts as a sacrificial metal, and when the air reacts with Zinc to form Zinc oxide, a protective layer of zinc oxide is formed on the surface of the iron.

Zinc powder is extensively used as a reducing agent in the chemical laboratory and factories in manufacturing drugs, dyes, paints, and other chemicals.

Zinc Sulphate

Zinc sulphate is an inorganic chemical compound having a chemical formula \({\rm{ZnS}}{{\rm{O}}_{\rm{4}}}\). It is formed by \(Z{n^{2 + }}\) cation and \({\rm{SO}}_{\rm{4}}^{{\rm{2 – }}}\) anion. It has a white powdery appearance and is hence also called white vitriol. Various uses of Zinc Sulphate are:

1. It is used in oral rehydration therapy in case of dehydration.
2. In the leather industry, \({\rm{ZnS}}{{\rm{O}}_{\rm{4}}}\) is used as a preservative for leathers.
3. It is widely used as an electrolyte in zinc electroplating.
4. \({\rm{ZnS}}{{\rm{O}}_{\rm{4}}}\) has many applications in medicines like it is used as an astringent in eye drops and lotions, to treat acne, to treat upset stomach, and as a zinc supplement for the body.

Uses of Iron

Iron is one of the most important metals with the highest corroding properties. The atomic number of iron is \(26\) and has an electronic configuration \(\left[ {{\rm{Ar}}} \right]{\rm{3}}{{\rm{d}}^{\rm{6}}}{\rm{4}}{{\rm{s}}^{\rm{2}}}\). The chemical symbol of iron is Fe. The uses of iron are as follows: 

1. Due to its high tensile strength, iron is used in making railway lines, train compartments, vehicles etc. 
2. Stainless steel is an alloy of iron that has at least \(11%\) of chromium along with carbon and Ni in the iron. Stainless steel is used for all sorts of work, from power generation to making utensils. 

What is Silver?

Silver is a metal known for its white-shiny lustre and is one of the most used metals in various aspects of mankind. Silver is in Group \(11\) and Period \(5\) of the Modern Periodic Table between copper (Period \(4)\) and gold (Period \(6)\), and its physical and chemical properties are intermediate between those two metals. Silver has one of the best electrical conductivities among all metals.

Properties of Silver

Chemistry of Silver

Silver is a non-reactive metal and is situated at almost the bottom of the electrochemical series. It does not react with air, and hence, it was also known as Noble metal like gold by alchemists. With hydrogen sulphide present in the air, it turns blackish silver sulphide as it gets tarnished.

Tarnishing of Silver

The silver metal reacts with sulphur-containing substances (hydrogen sulphide) in the air, and it combines with sulphur and forms silver sulphide. This coating of silver sulphide gives a black appearance to the shiny silver metal that is known as tarnishing.

The chemical equation accompanied in the tarnishing of silver metal is given below:

Uses of Silver

1. Silver nowadays is used in electrical devices due to its high electrical conductivity, but as this metal is quite expensive, it gets replaced by the copper to some extent.

2. In photography, silver halide is used to develop photographs and X-ray images.

3. Silver paste is used nowadays to make solar panels in which silver paste layers are present on photovoltaic cells to capture and carry electric current. When energy from the sun impacts the semiconducting layer of the cell, the current is produced. 

4. Silver has high tensile strength and ductility that helps it create joints between two metal pieces. It is used for brazing and soldering.

5. Silver acts as a catalyst in chemistry to produce two important chemicals: ethylene oxide and formaldehyde.

6. Traditionally, silver is used in jewellery and silverware due to its malleability, reflectivity, and lustre. Because it is less expensive than gold, silver is a good option for jewellery and a standard for fine dining. 

7. In medicines also silver is used as it is antibiotic and non-toxic because silver ions act as a catalyst by absorbing oxygen, which kills bacteria by blocking their respiration.

Summary

In short, aluminium, copper, zinc, iron and silver are some of the most important metals used since ancient eras for human civilisation. Aluminium is a very light metal widely used in manufacturing aeroplanes that have become one of the most important modes of transport. Copper and zinc are also essential elements, and various alloys are made from them like bronze is an alloy of copper and tin, and brass is an alloy of both copper and zinc. Iron is one of the primary metals of industry. Iron is a very strong metal and hence, used for construction purposes, manufacturing vehicles, and many more. With the evolution of stainless steel, iron uses became more convenient and popular as they did not get rusted. Silver is also a very useful metal and used since ancient ages. Silver is used in various aspects like in making electrical appliances, jewellery, silver dishes, etc. Thus, we can infer that these metals play a vital role in human civilisation. 

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