Figure 1.--

A new metal became important in the early 20th century--alluminum. Early aviators did not use aluminum. It was hard to obtain and expensive. American automobile manufaturers began to consider it, but turned away after prices increased during World War I. And as a result of World War I, howevr it began to become an important industrial metal. Count Zepplin used it to builds his famouus Zepplin air shios. And Hugo Junketrs used it tobukld an all metal monoplane for the most part, however it was used to manufacture munitions, fuses, flairs, and various personal kit items. It was also used as a deoxidizerb in steel production. The demand for aluminum soared during the war as did the price. [Hanners] Most World War I aircraft were wood and canvas creations. Bernard Baruch, the chairman of the American War Industries Board, "Not enough aluminum could be produced to supply the war needs of ourselves and the Allies and at the same time supply normal civilian requirements. Hence the control to be exercised by the board had to be directed chiefy to two problems: Control of distribution and control of prices. The board also assisted the Aluminum Co. of America in securing power for increased production and encouraged the recovery of secondary metal from scrap." Prices collapsed after the War, but baluminum was on its ways to becoming ann imortant industrial metal. As imprtant as aluminum was during World War I, its importance increased may fold during World War II. This time it was primarily because for the Allies it was such an important part of the air war and by this time, aluminum was virtually synnonamous with both aircraft and air craft engines. President Roosevelt had a special afinity for the Navy, but saw early on that the air war would be ctitical in any comung war. He leftb it up to Army Air Corps commander Hap Arnold as to what kind of aircraft, but from an early point he began to speak of very large numbers. The Axis dismissed them and even many in the military did not believe them practical. And he gave priority to aircraft in very limited defense appropriations. It is not entirely clear why the President was so intent on aircraft even before the actual war, but we suspect he, like the British, saw it as a way of limiting casualties. He is known to have said that "Battleshios are not going to stop German Panzers." Thus the production of aluminum became a vital part of the American Arsenal of Democracy which would exceed the President's projections by a wide margin.

The Element

Aluminum (Al, an13) is the most abundant metallic element in the Earth's crust. It is extrenmely light weight comparedto most bother metald. Unlike most other metals, aluminum is not found its metalic (chemically uncombined) state. Rather there are silicates, oxides and hydroxides, often combined with other elements such as sodium and fluoride as well as complexes with organic matter. When water enter the pictures sedenmerbtary riock forms along with trace elements -- bauxite. Metalic aluminum has a dull sheen produced by a thin coating of an oxide that forms when exposed to air. This is what creates the metal's resistance to corrosion. In the pure state it is soft and ductile, but it can be alloyed with many other elements to increase both strength and provide a range of useful properties. Alloys of aluminum are light, strong, and easily formed with various metalworking processes. Aluminum alloys can be cast, joined by various techniques, and machined easily. Aluminum is not only light wight, but an excellent conductor of electricity. It has twice the electrical conductance of copper which during the War was the element used for electrical conductivity. Aluminum remained a laboratory curiosity until a French scientist, Henri Sainte-Claire Deville, announced significnt advvances. Deville’s process became the foundation of the modern aluminum industry. Bars of aluminum, made at Javel Chemical Works and exhibited at the Paris Exposition Universelle, introduced the new metal to the public (1855). It was still expernsive to produce, at first more valuable than gold. Paul Héroult and the American Charles Hall who patented the electrolytic method of producing the metal (1888). The fiurst electrolytic prodyctiin began the groiwth if a modern industry. German chemists improved the vporocess. Only after World War I, however, did price levels fall to permit widespread industrial and military use.

Importance

Aluminum had many highly desiraable acgacteristics. Chief along them was its light weight. It had limited iundustrail use, hoevr, because it was expenaive. This was not because it was hard to find, but primarily because it was expensive to produce. Denmand for it increased during World War I at which time price was less imoprtant than during normal market operatiions. It was used widekly in munitiions as well as the manufacture of kit. After the War it became used in a range of products like kitchen utensels and as the aviatiion industry developed, companies began using more and more aluminum in aircraft. In World War I Aluminum became a key strategic metal in World War II. There is a lot of steel in aircraft, but aluminum is highly desirable. And America needed a lot of it to produce the amazing 300,000 aircraft manufactured during the War. Aluminum is three times lighter than steel and thus vital in the construction of aircraft frames. The most important military use of aluminum was in aircraft production. This was not the case in World War I. All metal aircraft was a new innovation and only appeared in the inter-War years, mostly the 1930s. In addition to aircraft, aluminum powder was a key ingredient in explosives. Aluminum use skyroicketed during the War, it was extensively used in the construction of ship infrastructure, radar chaff, not to mention millions of mess kits.

Resource

American bauxite comes primarily from Arkansas. It was first noted by Dr. W. Byrd Powell (1842). He described the peculiar character of rock in Fourche Cove, now the Granite Mountain area of Pulaski County. He did mot not understand what he had found. There was not yet an aluminum industry. Mining only began five decades later. John C. Branner, the state geologist, first identified it. Arkansas would provide some 90 ninety percent of all all bauxite mined in America. As the American aluminum industry developed , ALCOA developed more and more uses for the metal. Aluminum consumption ibcreased much more rapidly than mining in Arkansas. This was because the bauxite in the state was a relatively low grade. ALCOA turned to higher grade ores available in British and Dutch Guiana. After America entered the War, the Germans launched a U-boat offensive along the Atalntic coast and Gulf of Mecico (January-June 1942). Ships carrying bauxite from the Guianas were sunk. Ameican planners decided to expand bauxite mining in Arkansas, but fir the rest of the War, ships along the East Coast was safe. The U-boats with drew to the mid-Atlantic Air Gap. As American aluminum production expanded more and more bauxite was needed. Bauxite mining increased to meet wartime needs. Domestic bauxite mining in Arkansas peaked duting the War. It aws critucal for the Allied war effort which relied heavily on airpower. Arkansas mine produced more than 6 million t of bauxite (1943). This rapidly fell off after the War aw Alcoa source the higher grade imprted ores.

The American Industry

The United States at first was not the major player in the aluminum industry. American companioies produced only 2,500 tons of aluminum (1900). there were companies interested in aluminum, but the cost od production limited actualm applications. American production increased to 148,000 t (1939), but that was behind the 200,000 t produced by the Germans. The NAZIs saw no reason that they could not maintain their lead in this and many other areas where they held the advantage in what Hilter was sure would be a ahort war. What actually happened is that by 1943, Ameican productiion had reached 835,000 tons German production production also increased, but even so, America now had a 3 to 1 advantage. But that is only part of the story. The American aluminum industry was closely integrated with the Canadian industry. The United States had smelers and the capability of building more. The Canadians had needed elctrical power. The result was that that American-Canadian aluminum production reached 4 million t of aluminum during the 5 years of war (1939-45). The German production was only 1.4 million tons. [Hanners, p. 28.] These of course or only numbers, but the result is that at the end of the war it was as Air Marhall Arthur Harris prophesized--Germany 'inherited the whirl wind'. German cities were reduced to immense piles of rubble and the NAZIs no longerv had the capability of waging War. The American-Canadian aluminum industry was no only an important part of the war in the West, but also the Ostkrieg. It forced the Germans to divert badly needed war supplies from the Ostkrieg to the War in the West. In addition, American Lend Least supplied large quantities of aluminum to the Soviet Union, important to the rserection of the Red Air Force.

The 19th Century

The American aluminum industry was launvched by chemistry student Charles Hall who in a shed attached to the family home (1886). The same process as discovered by chemist Paul T. Héroult of France, and came to be known as the Hall-Héroult Process. Hall found financial backing anf founded the Pittsburgh Reduction Company (1888). This would became Alcoa, the American aluminum giant--Alcoa.

Early-20th Century

A new metal began to become important in the early 20th century--alluminum. The Wright Brothers flew the first powered flight (1903). Early aviators, however, did not use aluminum. It was hard to obtain and expensive. The Pittsburgh Reduction Company changed its name to the Aluminum Company of America--Alcoa (1907). Alcoa developed all kinds of new aluminum products including aluminum foil, often called correctly tin foil. The Company developped alloys which made aluminum a strong, machinable substitute for heavier metals. Automotive companies began experimenting with aluminum. The autombile industry did not, however, begin to become important until Henry Ford introduced the Model T (1908) and began manufacturuing in real numbers. Weight was a real issue which is why the industry was interested in aluminum. As the price of aluminum increased because of World War II, the Ameruican automiobile industry revuised their plans for aluminum.

World War I (1914-18)

World War I heped turn Aluminum into an important industrial metal. Count Zepplin used it to builds his famouus Zepplin air shios. And Hugo Junkers used it to build an all metal monoplane for the most part, however it was used to manufacture munitions, fuses, flairs, engine castings, and various personal kit items. Espcially important was ammonal (aluminum owder and ammonium nitrate). Aluminum was also used as a deoxidizer in steel production. The demand for aluminum soared during the war as did the price. [Hanners] Most World War I aircraft were wood and canvas creations. Bernard Baruch, the chairman of the American War Industries Board, "Not enough aluminum could be produced to supply the war needs of ourselves and the Allies and at the same time supply normal civilian requirements. Hence the control to be exercised by the board had to be directed chiefy to two problems: Control of distribution and control of prices. The board also assisted the Aluminum Co. of America in securing power for increased production and encouraged the recovery of secondary metal from scrap."

Inter-War Era (1920s-30s)

Prices collapsed after the War, but aluminum was on its ways to becoming an important industrial metal and prices recovered during the Roaring Twenties in which aluminum becanme an increasingly imprtant industrial metal. Ford before World War I had begun making asluminum parts, but backed away as prices increased during the War. After the War, Ford did no reserect his production efforts, but began ordering aluminumm parts from suppliers. General Motors simply decided to use less aluminum and continued to so until after World War II [Hanners, p. 2.] This of course affected demand and the resulyting production of aluminum, The autimobikle industry at the time was the primary engine for growth in the American economy.

War in Europe (1939)

America War Effort (1941-45)

Two events semt the American Arsenal of Democracy into overdrive. The first was the fall of France (June 1940) and then the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor thrusting America into the War and removing all limitatiions on American spending and industrial productiion. The United States would become the world largest producer of aluminum for its massive aircraft building effort. At first the Government had trouble with Alcoa. [Seldes, p. 261.] Alcoa seems at first reluctant to expand its production as needed by the war effort. transform its operationf from profitable consumer products to military projects. The U.S. Secretary of the Interir, Harold L. Ickes, warned "If America loses the war, it can thank the Aluminum Corporation of America". [Seldes, p. 261.] Before World War II, most of the bauxite processed in the United States was imported. Imports continued, but the threat of German U-boat attacks on shipping and the need for expanded production caused the United Stated to look for domestic sources. And this was found in Arkansas. Arkansas would provide almost all of the bauxite ore that was mined in the United States during the War. The Arkansas bauxite was, however, of lower grade than the bauxite being imported from South America. In times of war, commercial matters become less imprtant. So America got most of its bauxite from Arkansa for expaned war production. The United States had the substantial available electricity needed to produce aluminum in large quantities. As a result, the United States hugely expanded aluminum production during the War. Although aluminum production and usage grew almost continuously, the metal and the industry did not become really familiar to the general public until Pearl Harbor and World War II, when the critical need for aircraft generated a demand for aluminum far beyond the capacity existent at the time. By 1943 annual primary1 production was boosted to over 920,000 tons as compared with less than 164,000 tons in 1939. The United States built over 300,000 military planes during World War II. This required the production of more than 3 billion pounds of aluminum. American production alone exceeded that of all the Axis countries combined. The European Axis had access to bauxite. Their problem was the electrical energy needed to produce aluminum. The American production not only supplied American aircraft plants, but also plants in Britain and the Soviet Union. There were also home front recycling drives. Some 'Tin foil drives' (actually aluminum foil) offered free movie tickets as a prize, helping to motivate children. And in additiin to aluminum production for its own needs, the Soviets received some 330,000 metric tons of aluminum mostly from America (1941-45).

Sources

Hanners, Richard. Miontana Aluinum Industry. Chapter 10 (2017).

Rumerman, Judy. "The American aerospace industry during World War II," U.S. Centennial of Flight online (2003).

Seldes, George (1943). Facts and Fascism 5 ed. (In Fact, Inc.: 1943).

Created: 1:18 PM 12/14/2022
Last updated: 1:19 PM 12/14/2022