Chemistry question on aluminum

Hi,
I am not sure if I am getting paranoia about this...

Nowadays, there are many equipment (amps, speakers, etc) that are made from aluminum; from a slab, ingot, extruded and other processes. And I am a sucker for the raw industrial silvery color Aluminum looks. I just dig them. (Think YG acoustics, Audiomachina, Modwright, Jeff Rowland, Acoustic Signature TT, et al)

But I live in the hot and humid tropics. A friend, knowing that I failed Chemistry in school, put a scary thought in me that white powdery substance will form and corrode them in the long run.

Anyone care to give me a Chemistry 101 lesson on this with respect to Audio equipment?

Thanks.