Does Aluminum Set Off Metal Detectors?

Ever set off a metal detector and wondered if your aluminum items were to blame? Dive into this intriguing exploration of how and why aluminum interacts with metal detectors. Curious? Read on!

Metal detecting hobbyists or archeologists use metal detectors hoping that they would find something precious under the soil. But there are so many metals buried underneath and it might be hard to hit the jackpot!

You will be surprised how many things are actually made out of metals, especially aluminum.

Aluminum is typically included in most of the items that are used daily such as food packages, jewelry, drink cans, and even in machinery.

I was even misled on aluminum for treasures while detecting metals as a hobby. It was a mystery for me as well. 

This curiosity led me to do some research.

Now with years of experience, I found answers to, Does aluminum set off metal detectors?

Yes, aluminum does set off metal detectors. Despite being a non-ferrous metal, aluminum’s high conductivity makes it detectable by both Very Low Frequency (VLF) and Pulse Induction (PI) metal detectors. Hence, items like aluminum foil, cans, and alloys can trigger these devices.

Aluminum comes in different varieties and thicknesses. But one thing can be said in common, it is everywhere. 

When I say this, the next question will be, ‘Are they all detectable?’. 

Well, keep reading if you really want to know everything about detecting aluminum.

Can Metal Detectors Detect Aluminum?

Yes, metal detectors can detect Aluminum since it is a commonly used metal type in most of the equipment and therefore, it’s everywhere and can be easily found.

Let’s look into what types of aluminum can be set off by detectors.

Do Metal Detectors Detect Aluminum Foil?

Some rumors might say that aluminum foil cannot be detected by detectors even though it is still aluminum. But metal detectors do trigger over aluminum foil.

Aluminum foil is a non-ferrous metal with a thickness of 0.1-0.2 mm. But it can still perform electrical conductivity. 

Metal detectors don’t detect metal itself. Instead, they detect the conductivity emitted from them. In that case, detectors are able to identify aluminum foil.

There are specific detectors built to find small quantities of specific metals just to make sure none of the metals were missed.

They can easily detect aluminum foil.

Does Aluminum Alloy Set Off Metal Detectors?

If the aluminum alloy has enough aluminum in it, it will definitely set off metal detectors.

Aluminum alloy is a combination of aluminum and other metals such as zinc, copper and magnesium. Each of them has a specific conductivity level.

The detectors are designed to identify metals depending on their conductivity. So if the aluminum composition is high, it will be detected.

But some detectors can work under low frequencies. These types will easily detect aluminum regardless of the composition.

Do Aluminum Cans Set Off Metal Detectors? 

Yes, aluminum cans do set off metal detectors. Even though aluminum is more lightweight than other metals, it is still considered a metal and it has conductivity.

Just the presence of aluminum alone is sometimes not enough to set off detectors.

The proximity of the metal to the detector, the size, and the shape can also affect the positive response. 

Just keep in mind that the detector sensitivity depends on the type of detector or its specific configurations. 

Do Walk-through Metal Detectors Detect Aluminum?

Walk-through metal detectors are larger versions of any other metal-detecting device. These are more powerful and used in public checking most of the time.

Because they are larger metal detectors, walk-through metal detectors can detect even the smallest pieces of aluminum as they are high in sensitivity. 

The sensitivity levels of these walk-through metal detectors can be adjusted accordingly. 

Due to this reason, now the food industries are replacing aluminum packaging with polythene and plastic. This will prevent unnecessary detections.

Does Aluminum Set Off Airport Metal Detectors?

Yes, Aluminum will set off the airport metal detectors. 

Aluminum foil and cans can easily trigger the airport metal detectors no matter how thin or thick the metal is, it still has the electrical conductivity that can turn on the detector alarm.

If any aluminum item is brought accidentally into the airport, the luggage might have to go through some extra checkups. 

The passengers will also have to go through intensive checkups and questioning.

If nothing suspicious is found, they will be allowed to pass through easily. 

But it costs a lot of time and no one wants to miss their flight or to go through some issues before the flight. 

It is better to follow up on the packing instructions given by the airport to the passengers to avoid these problems.

Best Metal Detectors For Aluminum 

There are many metal detectors available in the market, and some of them come with adjustable settings which can be used to detect aluminum.

A full-sized and fully functional detector can do the job easily. But the handheld metal detectors could also work fine.

Here are some metal detectors that I’ve found handy in detecting aluminum,

• Garrett Ace 200 (for beginners and hobbyists)
• Minelab GPX 5000
• White’s MX-5
• Makro Racer 2

How To Set Up A Metal Detector To Detect Aluminum 

The configuration of metal detectors is designed to identify 3 main types of metals: ferrous, non-ferrous, and stainless steel. 

Stainless steel is a metal that has minimum conductivity. It is a mix of different metals and therefore, it has a sensitivity of different levels.

Ferrous metals are highly conductive as they have a considerable amount of iron. So they are easy to find.

Non-ferrous metals have different levels of conductivity as they are also a combination of different metals.

Even though they lack magnetic properties, they have conductivity which will make them possible to find. 

Aluminum is a non-ferrous metal and it has a high conductivity. Therefore, it is easy to find.

Almost any detector with non-ferrous metal configurations will find aluminum as they rely on conductivity.

Aluminum is a non-ferrous metal that can be detected by metal detectors!

Just make sure to find a model that can resist different environmental factors as they can lead to false metal detection.

How To Detect Aluminum 

Detecting aluminum is not a hard task if it is done accurately. And the steps are not different from any other metal detection either. 

Here are the steps that I follow whenever I do the aluminum or any other metal detection, 

1. Purchase a metal detector 
2. Gather all other essential supplies 
3. Decide the place to detect the metal
4. Adjust the settings of the metal detector 
5. Effective searching for aluminum 
6. Digging out the aluminum objects

Let’s look into these topics a little more to get an idea of how to do it.

1. Purchase a Metal Detector 

There are a lot of metal detectors available in the market. But there’s no need to go for the most expensive ones.

Selecting a metal detector depends on the purpose and the materials that it is used for. 

Most of the detectors that are available in the market have the ability to detect aluminum.

So the only things that have to be considered are the environment type, purpose and engagement.

2. Gather All Other Essential Supplies 

Some other gears will be needed before starting the metal detection process. Here are some of the supplies,

1. Headphones: A good set of headphones will be the best as the beep sound from the metal detector can be missed if it is not heard well.

2. Gloves: To keep the hands safe while digging into the ground to find metals, gloves are important.

3. Trowel: In order to make the digging easy, a trowel can be used.

3. Decide the Place to Detect the Metal 

Places that have a lot of people are ideal to do metal detection. Some other great spots like old houses, ruins, churchyards, sandy parks, campsites will also work well.

These places get a lot of things thrown away or left behind. So it will be a treasure trove for sure.

4. Adjust the Settings Of the Metal Detector

Reading the manual and knowing some of the basic configurations will be helpful in detecting aluminum specifically.

1. Sensitivity: lowering and increasing sensitivity according to the size of the metal items will be helpful in searching for specific things.

2. Discrimination: this is useful when searching for something unique in an area with a lot of stuff. Aluminum can be found if the setting is made to ignore other metal objects.

3. Detection: in order to make the detection more precise, this setting can be used.

5. Effective Searching for Aluminum 

While detecting, there are some steps to be followed in order to make the search more effective.

The detector should be at least two feet in front of the person. When walking, the detector should be moved back and forth in a half-moon pattern. 

It is better to choose straight paths to walk at times as it will avoid mistaken re-detections. The steps have to be a little and slow.

If a beep is heard, stop there immediately and move the detector in small circles on the same place to find the accurate place.

Increase the sensitivity settings if needed. Focus on the metal detector face while doing this. 

What if you don’t have a metal detector or what if your metal detector is broken?

Don’t worry, Read this to know the best methods to find Aluminum without using any metal detector.

6. Digging Out the Aluminum Objects 

Any metal detector tells how deep the object is located. Mark the exact place and cut a plug in a circular shape and pull out the whole circular area out with the dirt. 

Read my comprehensive guide, How deep can a metal detector detect?

Keep the plug underneath the detector and detect again to make sure that object is in the plug. 

Put on the gloves and gently feel through the dirt until the object is found. After finding it, detect the plug once again to make sure that there are no leftovers.

Put back the remaining parts of the plug into the hole again and push it firmly to the ground. This will help the ground area to recover. 

Valuable Aluminum Findings

There are valuable items that are made out of aluminum. 

If a token or a coin that is older than 100 years or more can be found, that day would be historically luckiest.

Apart from that, aluminum items are not considered as valuable metal like gold. But aluminum is used in many other industries and the metal is therefore considered as important.

Aluminum is used to make and can be found in,

• Airplane parts
• Construction materials 
• Automobiles
• Electronics 
• Coins
• Food packaging materials

Many Aluminum finds found from metal detecting are,

• Aluminum coins or tokens.
• Aluminum jewelry.
• Historical aluminum artifacts.
• Discarded aluminum cans or packaging.
• Beer cans.
• Bobby pins.

If a lot of aluminum is excavated, it can be collected and sold to companies who will melt and recycle them.

These recycled metals are used in the above-mentioned industries.

So if aluminum collecting is done as a hobby, a decent amount of money can be made by selling them. 

Aluminum can basically be found anywhere.

But if you need to know the best locations, read my comprehensive guide about the best places to find aluminum for metal detecting.

Congrats folks! Now you know does aluminum set off metal detectors with all the surrounding info.

Aluminum worth noting that approximately 50% of aluminum used in the United States is recycled, highlighting the metal’s recyclability and its important role in sustainable practices.

www.dec.ny.gov

Let’s answer some frequently asked questions.

FAQs

Did I cover all you wanted to know about: Does Aluminum Set Off Metal Detectors?

In this article I’ve deeply discussed does aluminum set off metal detectors by taking aluminum cans, foils and other findings.

Aluminum does set off metal detectors. Although it’s a non-ferrous metal, it has a high conductivity that can trigger the detector. It can be detected by very low-frequency detectors (VLF) or pulse induction metal detectors (PI). It is actually what’s detected by the metal detectors most of the time!

So that’s it!. I hope that I covered up everything to answer the question ‘does aluminum set off metal detectors?’.

Metal detecting is one of the most rewarding outdoor hobbies that someone can do and aluminum can be found almost everywhere!. 

And it can also fill the pocket with a couple of bucks if it is done every day.

I believe there is something that could be taken into everyone’s knowledge base from what I have experienced on metal detection. 

I’d like to hear if my detecting method really worked for anyone else too. Leave a comment down below and let me know if you drop here next time. 

Now buckle up and go find your aluminum treasures with metal detectors!