Updated on 20 May 2025

Aluminium is everywhere, from the bauxite mines to the sleek products we use daily. But how well do we understand the journey of this versatile metal? That’s where AL Pedia, a knowledge hub under AL Learn, comes in.

Through AL Pedia, we’re building an easy-to-follow A-Z encyclopedia of aluminium, covering key terms from across the aluminium value chain. Whether a student, a professional, or simply curious about the industry, this is your go-to space for breaking down complex concepts into simple and digestible insights.

Each week, we update 10 key terminologies, starting with the basics like Bauxite, Alumina, and Aluminium, and gradually moving through the refining, production, and downstream processes. You can find these posts on our Instagram and LinkedIn pages, making learning accessible anytime, anywhere.

A

• Aluminium: Aluminium is a lightweight, durable and infinitely recyclable metal that plays a vital role in modern industrial and sustainable development.
• Alloy: An alloy is a metallic substance formed by combining aluminium with other elements to enhance strength, durability, and performance for specific applications.
• Alumina: Alumina, or aluminium oxide, is a white crystalline substance refined from bauxite and serves as the primary raw material for aluminium production.
• Anodising: Anodising is an electrochemical process that forms a protective oxide layer on aluminium, improving its corrosion resistance, surface hardness, and aesthetic appeal.

B

• Bauxite: Bauxite is the primary ore of aluminium, rich in aluminium hydroxide minerals and essential for aluminium production.
• Bayer Process: The Bayer Process is the principal industrial method for refining bauxite into alumina through caustic digestion, clarification, precipitation and calcination.
• Billet: A billet is a solid, semi-finished aluminium product with a cylindrical shape, used as feedstock for extrusion, forging, or rolling processes.

C

• Canstock: Canstock refers to flat-rolled aluminium sheets specifically manufactured for producing beverage cans and food containers, known for their strength, formability, and recyclability.
• Carbon Credit: A carbon credit is a tradable permit that allows an entity to emit a certain amount of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases, used to incentivize emission reductions and support environmental sustainability.
• Carbon Disclosure: Carbon disclosure is the process by which companies report their greenhouse gas emissions, climate-related risks, and mitigation strategies, promoting transparency and accountability in environmental performance.
• Carbon Footprint: A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases emitted directly or indirectly by an individual, organization, product, or activity, typically measured in equivalent tons of carbon dioxide.
• Carbon Neutral: Carbon neutral refers to achieving a net-zero carbon footprint by balancing emitted greenhouse gases with equivalent offsets or removal measures, often through renewable energy and sustainability initiatives.
• Carbon Offset: A carbon offset is a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, such as through reforestation or renewable energy projects, used to compensate for emissions produced elsewhere and help achieve climate goals.
• Carbon Pricing: Carbon pricing is a market-based approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by assigning a monetary cost to emitting carbon dioxide, encouraging emitters to lower their carbon output through financial incentives.
• Carbon Sequestration: Carbon sequestration is the process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide, typically through natural methods like afforestation or technological solutions, to mitigate the impact of climate change.
• Carbon Tax: A carbon tax is a direct tax imposed on the carbon content of fossil fuels, aimed at discouraging greenhouse gas emissions by making carbon-intensive activities more expensive.
• Carbon Trade: Carbon trade, also known as emissions trading, is a system where companies can buy or sell emission allowances under a regulated cap, enabling cost-effective compliance with emission reduction targets.
• Casting: Casting is a manufacturing process where molten aluminium is poured into a mould to form specific shapes, commonly used in the production of automotive parts, tools and industrial components.
• CBAM: Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism is a regulatory tool proposed by the European Union to place a carbon price on imports of certain goods, ensuring that imported products meet the same carbon reduction standards as those produced within the EU.
• Circular Economy: A circular economy is an economic model focused on minimizing waste and maximizing resource efficiency by reusing, recycling, and repurposing materials like aluminium across product life cycles.
• Cladding: Cladding refers to the application of one material over another to provide a protective or aesthetic layer, with aluminium cladding often used in building facades for its durability, lightweight nature and corrosion resistance.
• Clean Energy: Clean energy refers to energy derived from renewable, low-emission sources such as solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal, which produce little to no greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to a sustainable energy future.