Case Study: Conversion of Bauxite Ore to Aluminum Metal
As the minerals are weathered they gradually breakdown into various forms of hydrated aluminum oxide, Al 2 O 3 .xH 2 O, known as bauxite. The bauxite is purified by the Bayer Process. First the ore is mixed with a hot concentrated solution of sodium hydroxide. The NaOH will dissolve the oxides of aluminum and silicon but not other impurities ...