Aluminium News | News | William Rowland

Nobel Prize for Quasicrystal Space Discovery

Posted in Industry News on 6th January 2012

Daniel Shechtman first discovered these unusual crystals in 1982. Other scientists thought the idea of quasicrystals ridiculous as they break every rule of what a crystal is. His battle to prove their existence was long and drawn out, but throughout this time he continued his research to confirm that his discovery was real.

Firstly, he created quasicrystals under laboratory conditions - cooling molten metals by squirting the mixture onto a cold surface. Shechtman also sent electron waves through molten metal made up of aluminium and manganese to test how the wave diffracted according to the metals atoms.

The Metal of Choice - Aluminium

Posted in The World Of Metal on 12th December 2011

Aluminium is a metal that plays a key role in the fuel, automotive and aerospace industry. It is an extremely lightweight metal, which is ideal for these industries as it ensures that the weight of the vehicle is dramatically reduced. A lighter vehicle results in reduced fuel consumption and reduced fuel emissions, making aluminium the metal of choice. Aluminium is also used in the construction industry; it has corrosive resistance properties that make it idyllic for use in the development of low maintenance buildings.

The Global Foundry industry - an overview

Posted in Reflections on 30th September 2011

The melting and casting of metal is an established technique which has been used in and across the World for thousands of years. In the UK, the most relevant growth in the ferrous metal casting industry came with the birth of the industrial revolution. Cast iron and steels were able to be developed on extensive scales as metal components were in great demand from the multiple technologies that were evolving...

Aluminium: The Workhorse of the Kitchen

Posted in The World Of Metal on 8th February 2011

Aluminium is known as "the workhorse of the kitchen" as so many every day products make use of it. In the past lots of pots and pans were made from aluminium, these days stainless steel is more popular, however stainless steel is not as effective a conductor of heat, and so even these have a layer of aluminium sandwiched in the base to assist the heat transfer.

World's Biggest Aluminium Suppliers Producing 1.8 Million Tons Per Year

Posted in Industry News on 19th January 2011

Aluminium is all around us and is essential to our daily lives, and its versatility means it is used in many products. Aluminium suppliers, including William Rowland Ltd, provide a variety of forms and specifications.

Major Developments for Aluminium Market

Posted in Industry News on 10th January 2010

With many industry members glad to see the back of 2009, the turn of the New Year has been greeted with the news that the global aluminium market is heading for a big surplus during the forthcoming months as demand for the non-ferrous metal continues to be out-placed by supply.

Rio Tinto to sell Ghana mine

Posted in Industry News on 8th October 2009

Multi-national mining and resource group Rio Tinto have announced this week their intention to sell an 80% stake in Ghana's solitary bauxite mine, to Chinese consortium Bosai.

Having recently pulled out of a previous plan to develop an integrated aluminium refinery due to poor local infrastructure and a decrease in global demand for raw materials, Rio Tinto have now decided to sell on their majority share of the Ghanaian mine.