Aluminized

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Covered with a thin layer of aluminum to increase resistance to corrosion and enhance reflectivity
2. Having a surface applied with aluminum for improved durability and thermal insulation while also enhancing appearance
3. Coated with a thin film of aluminum to improve resistance to environmental factors and increase light reflection

Etymology: "Aluminized" is the past participle of "aluminize," a verb built from "aluminum" with the verb-forming suffix "-ize," which turns a noun into a verb meaning to treat something with, or cause it to become, the substance named. To aluminize a surface is to coat it with aluminum, usually as a thin layer applied by vapor deposition or hot-dipping, and the adjective describes whatever has received that coating. The element itself was named in the early 19th century. Humphry Davy first proposed the name "alumium" in 1808 for the metal he was trying to isolate from alumina, the oxide found in alum. The spelling then shifted in British usage to "aluminium," while American chemists settled on "aluminum," so the two forms of the metal's name, and the verb built from it, reflect different national conventions for the same element.