Aluminum powder is often used to create silver metallic pigments, and is sometimes sold in art stores as aluminum bronze. Aluminum bronze is a flaky aluminum powder that is usually coated with steatite or another compound that reduces its reactivity. Pigments made with aluminum powder are generally used in electronics, packaging and in the automotive industry as coatings. Aluminum powder is also used to create a thick paste that is painted onto the back of photovoltaic solar cells to make them conductive.