Aluminium Unveiled: A Comprehensive Journey from History to Sustainability
Understand how aluminium is an essential material in society as you uncover its role in sustainability and innovation with this online course from University of Padova.
Duration
5 weeks
Weekly study
4 hours
100% online
How it works
Digital upgrade
Free
Understand aluminium and its properties
This course begins with a deep dive into the fundamental aspects of aluminium and its alloys.
By exploring its core properties, you’ll gain insight into why aluminium is a preferred material in various industrial applications, thanks to its strength, lightweight nature, and recyclability. You’ll also discover its remarkable versatility and the potential it holds across diverse uses.
Delve into the uses of aluminium
Aluminium has shaped the modern industrial landscape. Throughout this five-week course, you’ll examine aluminium’s diverse applications, from its everyday utility to its significance in advancing global sustainability efforts.
Explore the process of aluminium production and recycling
You’ll unpack the life cycle of aluminium – from its initial production to innovative recycling processes.
You’ll discover the challenges and opportunities within these stages, including the latest research developments and innovations that could make these processes more efficient and sustainable.
Deepdive in urban mining and recycling of aluminium
You’ll discover the vital role of aluminium recycling in reducing energy use, emissions and resource depletion. You’ll also explore current challenges in optimising recycling processes while uncovering promising opportunities driven by research and innovation.
Gain a comprehensive understanding of the decarbonisation potential of the aluminium cycle and society
You’ll learn about the climate challenges associated with the aluminium cycle and discover strategies for its decarbonisation. Furthermore, you’ll learn about aluminium’s role in meeting climate targets across other sectors and its potential to accelerate the green transition.
Week 1
What is aluminium?
The bare necessities
Get to know the course fundamentals and lead educators
A short history of aluminium
Learn about the history of aluminium, from its discovery to its first applications, from pioneer uses to the mass application developed in the 20th Century
Properties of aluminium
Understand the key properties of aluminium and how it became so popular in our everyday lives.
Aluminium alloys
Learn about the different tailored aluminium alloys and understand how their composition is crucial to their success in applications
Wrap-up
Synthesize and test what you learned this week
Week 2
How is aluminium used?
Where is aluminium used?
Getting familiar with aluminium applications
Automotive and mobility
In what ways is aluminium used in the automotive and mobility sectors? What key properties make aluminium an ideal material for these applications?
Building and infrastructure
How is aluminium used in building and infrastructure, and what key properties make it an ideal material for these applications?
Packaging
In what ways is aluminium used in the packaging sector? What key properties make aluminium an ideal material for this application?
Energy technologies and others
In what ways is aluminium used in the energy and engineering sector? What key properties make aluminium an ideal material for these applications?
Wrap-up
Synthesize and test what you learned this week
Week 3
Producing aluminium and aluminium products
From Bauxite to Aluminium Oxide
Discover the transformation of bauxite into refined aluminium oxide, the precursor of aluminium metal
From Aluminium Oxide to Aluminium
Unveiling the complex electrochemical process that converts aluminium oxide into pure aluminium metal
Remelting and Refining
Exploring the processes of remelting and refining, where scrap aluminium is transformed to be used again in high-quality applications.
Alloying and shaping
Explore the art of alloying and shaping, where aluminium gains enhanced properties through the addition of small amounts of other metals and is crafted into forms tailored for a wide range of applications.
Wrap-up
Synthesize and test what you learned this week
Week 4
Urban mining, recycling, and aluminium after its use
Why recycle?
Understanding the benefits of recycling aluminium scrap, from a resource, energy and climate change perspective
The global Al cycle
Explore the global flows of bauxite, aluminium, and scrap, and uncover how these flows are evolving over time across different regions of the world.
Challenges in aluminium recycling
Discover the challenges in aluminium recycling by exploring current recycling practices
Addressing challenges in aluminium recycling
From the challenges to the opportunities: how circularity can be enhanced thanks to industry best practices and innovation
Wrap-Up
Synthesize and test what you learned this week
Week 5
Decarbonisation of the Aluminium Cycle and the Contribution of Aluminium to the Green Transition
Greenhouse gas emissions in aluminium production and use
Aluminium and GHG emissionsDiscover the contribution of aluminium use to the green transition and the climate change impacts associated with its production
Reducing direct emissions in aluminium production
Unveil the strategies for reducing the direct emissions generated in the aluminium production process.
Energy efficiency and electricity decarbonisation
Discover how climate change impacts can be mitigated by increasing process energy efficiency and decarbonizing the electricity mix.
Material efficiency
Learn about the role of material efficiency in climate change mitigation, from prolonging the life of products to improving their recycling.
Putting the pieces together
Learn how the three climate change mitigation strategies contribute to the decarbonisation pathways for the aluminium industry
Wrap-up
Synthesize and test what you learned this week
Wrapping it all up
Bringing it all together: your final takeaways
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