The Association defined its purpose as promoting the general welfare of the aluminum industry and its members.

Its first formal program in market expansion was a technical report called, “Corrosion Resistance of Aluminum Cylinder Heads,” which was distributed to engineers, automobile dealers, and repair shops.

With the onset of World War II, and aluminum's designation as a strategic material, the Association would serve as a central conduit for information relating to aluminum's use in the war effort—disseminating government material, representing the industry on government boards, and providing statistical information to the industry and the general public.

[5][4] By the late 1940s, the Aluminum Association would recommence fulfilling its original purpose to promote the general welfare of the industry.

In doing so, it instituted a number of projects, including: The 1950s were a period of great expansion for the aluminum industry in the building, transportation, household products, electrical, and packaging markets.

By the end of the decade, the Association would announce that the aluminum industry had met and surpassed its energy conservation goal almost two years ahead of schedule.

The industry had reduced the amount of energy required to make a pound of aluminum by 10.77 percent compared with the base year of 1972.

As the 20th century came to a close, the Association and its members would take an increasingly active and leading role in pursuing energy efficiency and emission reductions in our primary operations.

The structure for this communication system is defined by a group of six American National Standards, which include the authorization for The Aluminum Association to administer the registration of chemical composition limits and mechanical properties of cast and wrought aluminum alloys, with the accompanying assignment of alloy and temper designations.

Aluminum alloy and temper designations, chemical composition limits and registered properties in North America all originate from the above system of ANSI and AA standards.