How does aluminum react with halogens?

Aluminum reacts with halogens to form aluminum halides. The reaction is typically exothermic and can be represented by the general equation: 2Al + 3X2 鈫?2AlX3, where X represents a halogen (fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, or astatine). For example, when aluminum reacts with chlorine, it forms aluminum chloride (AlCl3). The reaction is often initiated by heating the aluminum, which is then rapidly oxidized by the halogen. This process is used industrially to produce aluminum halides, which are important in various chemical applications.