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by midoridensha 1020 days ago
I'm not sure on all the particulars, but metals are not the same: some require more energy to work with or to refine than others.

Steel (IIRC) needs a lot more energy to melt than aluminum, however I think aluminum requires more energy to extract from ore. Also, IIRC, aluminum needs more energy to weld just because it conducts electricity so much better, even though it has a lower melting point.