The Alchemy recipe for Alumentum, as shown in the Thaumonomicon. Please note and excuse the use of a texture pack.
Alumentum is both an inherently open research option under the Alchemy tab and an item. Alumentum can only be created Alchemically, and is mainly used as a fuel, although it is highly volatile and can be thrown to explode. When used as a fuel in a normal furnace, it can smelt up to 32 items. When used in an Essentia Smeltery, it lasts approximately 320 seconds, or 5 minutes and 20 seconds. When used in an Essentia Smeltery it speeds up the process at which Alembics draw in slurry, making it not only an extremely long-lasting fuel, but also a very efficient one. However, one should take care as to not fill the Smeltery with more slurry than it can hold, as no items can be broken down until enough space has been made, limiting efficiency if the capacity is reached. Alumentum can be made with 3 Perditio, Ignis and Potentia aspects using coal or charcoal as the catalyst. Which is used does not affect the product. A good way to create Alumentum in bulk is to create 4 batches with 3 gunpowder, 6 redstone dust and 4 catalysts, which can be a mix of the two available, coal or charcoal. If Alchemical Duplication has been researched, the redstone dust can be added in all at once, and the gunpowder and catalyst, in that order, added one at a time afterwards, being alternated each time. This system results in no waste and 4 pieces of Alumentum.