Kevin:
You ask some pretty general questions, the answers for them, will vary with the compound.
In general, Aluminum is a highly reactive metal, and will strip the halides from the organics, while releasing energy.
Al + R-Cl -->> AlCl3 + R-
Many of the solvents had inhibitors to prevent/minimize this from occurring.
How fast and what circumstances accelerated this varied.
It is clear that water probably accelerates, and heat certainly does.
My suspicion is that the fluocarbons are the most stable, with chlorinated being less, and brominated even less, so keep the Mt. Dew from Aluminum!
Rudy Sedlak
RD Chemical Company