OREANDA-NEWS. January 25, 2008. UC RUSAL, the world’s largest aluminium and alumina producer, is announced the publication of the first edition in the UC RUSAL publishing programme, an encyclopedia entitled: ‘Aluminium: The Thirteenth Element’. This captivating edition introduces the reader to the history of the discovery, production and numerous applications of aluminium – from decorative and fine arts to the military and aerospace, and from light industry and automobiles to architecture and design.

The Russian and English bilingual edition of the encyclopedia presents extensive factual and illustrative material. The encyclopedia will be of interest to a wide audience, i.e. to students, professionals and general readers. Commenting on the encyclopedia publication Vera Kurochkina, Director of Corporate Communications said: “As the leader of the global aluminium industry, we believe that it is important to tell a wide audience about this amazing metal and its importance in our daily life. Aluminium has a long and interesting history and a bright, positive future with potential applications.” This unique encyclopedia dedicated to the thirteenth element of the Mendeleev’s periodic table alone can tell you that the oldest object containing 85% of aluminium is dated III century B.C. and that aluminium compounds are present besides the Earth on the Moon and the Mars! You will also find out that in 1860s all women of fashion in Paris could not do without at least one aluminium decoration in their attire, as at that time the lightweight metal was valued more than silver or gold. In the XX century aluminium became an indispensible metal architects, engineers and designers, allowing many of them to realize their dreams. In 1967 the American fashion designer Oscar de la Renta caused a real sensation in the fashion industry with his bikini on extremely thin aluminium thread.

It is almost 200 years since its first appearance and aluminium has changed many aspects of the world in which we live and even earned the name “the metal of the future”. Aluminium by right is first associated with jet planes and spaceships that would have been simply impossible to build without the metal. Silvery ‘winged’ metal has become the symbol of the human ambition to reach the sky. And everybody agrees that the twenty-first century promises to become the age of aluminium.

The encyclopedia ‘Aluminium. The Thirteenth Element’ will be available in book-shops in late February 2008. UC RUSAL will use all funds raised from sales for charity purposes. UC RUSAL also plans to donate copies of this edition to educational centers and libraries in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other regions of the company’s operations.

Some interesting facts which can be found in the encyclopedia:
    • Human body has on average140 milligrams of aluminium
    • 1 kg of aluminium may save more than 10 litres of fuel for every 200,000 km.
    • Up to 150 mg/kg of aluminium can be found in apples
    • Every 20th atom of the Earth’s surface is the atom of aluminium
    • A human being requires 2,45 mg of aluminium a day.