Aluminum will be greenhouse gas neutral by 2030  In the critical transportation industry, our research in lifecycle modeling has shown that by 2030 the emissions of the entire aluminum industry can be offset by the potential emission savings from the transport sector's increased use of aluminum.
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Airstream Travel Trailers
They are legendary American icons - traveling silver bullets jetting around highways across the land in search of a carefree adventure. The instantly recognizable Airstream Trailer has been a favorite among trailer owners since the 1930s, and thousands continue to be drawn to the classic aluminum design.
So when Airstream needed an environmentally-friendly way to treat the aluminum bodies of its trailers ensuring durability and enhancing the sheen, Airstream turned to Alcoa - the largest aluminum maker in the world.
Airstream had been applying its own see-through protection to enhance the trademark aluminum finish of the trailer, but new environmental regulations restricted the company's use of paints and lacquers because of the chemicals that are typically released.
Alcoa engineers had already patented a product for automotive trim parts that could be adapted to meet Airstream's needs for appearance, durability and environmental compliance. Using the Alcoa Business System principles, Alcoa engineers, research and development staff, and technicians crossed organizational boundaries and leveraged their knowledge to develop a system to apply clear coating to mill-finished aluminum sheet that met the Airstream standards.
Test after test, the system withstood every possible element. Alcoa had developed a solution that would save the day for Airstream - aluminum sheet packaged in coils and pre-painted with a clear coating that was thermally cured so the sun's ultraviolet rays could not degrade the polymer. No fading. No peeling. No cracking. Environmentally sound. And environmentally safe.
To prove the durability of Alcoa's solution, we set out our treated aluminum to bake under the sun in South Florida. Today - many years later - our coated aluminum continues to look as beautiful as the day it was set out in the salty, hot air of South Florida, enabling Airstream to continue to maintain the image of quality and design that it has for the past 70 years.
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Airstream trailers also use Alcoa wheels.
MOMA celebrates an American Icon
New York's Museum of Modern Art adds a 1963 Airstream 'Bambi' to its permanent collection.
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