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Aluminium Production Process

Bauxite ore is the main source of aluminium. Bauxite consists mainly of aluminium hydroxide minerals like gibbsite, boehmite, and diaspore along with iron oxides and hydroxides. Bauxite undergoes the Bayer process to extract aluminium. This process involves dissolving the bauxite in sodium hydroxide to form sodium aluminate, precipitating out aluminium hydroxide, and then calcining the aluminium hydroxide at high temperatures to produce aluminium oxide. The phases of aluminium oxide produced can be optimized to affect properties like solubility and porosity for aluminium production and pollution control.

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155 views1 page

Aluminium Production Process

Bauxite ore is the main source of aluminium. Bauxite consists mainly of aluminium hydroxide minerals like gibbsite, boehmite, and diaspore along with iron oxides and hydroxides. Bauxite undergoes the Bayer process to extract aluminium. This process involves dissolving the bauxite in sodium hydroxide to form sodium aluminate, precipitating out aluminium hydroxide, and then calcining the aluminium hydroxide at high temperatures to produce aluminium oxide. The phases of aluminium oxide produced can be optimized to affect properties like solubility and porosity for aluminium production and pollution control.

Uploaded by

Clemo 2
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Production

Aluminium hydroxide minerals are the main component of bauxite, the principal ore of aluminium. A mixture
of the minerals comprise bauxite ore, including gibbsite (Al(OH)3), boehmite (γ-AlO(OH)), and diaspore (α-
AlO(OH)), along with impurities of iron oxides and hydroxides, quartz and clay minerals. Bauxites are found in
laterites. Bauxite is purified by the Bayer process:

Al2O3 + H2O + NaOH → NaAl(OH)4

Al(OH)3 + NaOH → NaAl(OH)4

Except for SiO2, the other components of bauxite do not dissolve in base. Upon filtering the basic mixture,
Fe2O3 is removed. When the Bayer liquor is cooled, Al(OH)3 precipitates, leaving the silicates in solution.

NaAl(OH)4 → NaOH + Al(OH)3

The solid Al(OH)3 Gibbsite is then calcined (heated to over 1100 °C) to give aluminium oxide:

2 Al(OH)3 → Al2O3 + 3 H2O

The product aluminium oxide tends to be multi-phase, i.e., consisting of several phases of aluminium oxide
rather than solely corundum. The production process can therefore be optimized to produce a tailored product.
The type of phases present affects, for example, the solubility and pore structure of the aluminium oxide
product which, in turn, affects the cost of aluminium production and pollution control.

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