Aluminum Process


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Aluminum is characterized as most abundantly found metal on the earth. Few of the prime properties of Aluminum are: -

· It is a good conductor of heat and electricity.
· It is malleable.
· t is very ductile.
· It has silver like white color.

The aluminum process is very difficult as aluminum is rarely found in Free State. It is found in combined form. The bauxite is the richest source of aluminum used in aluminum process to extract aluminum. The aluminum process of extracting aluminum from bauxite ore passes through two main phases: -

1) Refinement of Bauxite Ore
The aluminum process starts with crushing the bauxite ore and breaking it into small and uniform pieces. Then caustic soda solution is mixed to it, at very high pressure and temperature, to form slurry. The caustic soda used in aluminum process helps to dissolve all the compounds that contain aluminum. Then after, the slurry is passed through several flash tanks which help in reducing the pressure and absorbing the excessive heat. The slurry is now allowed to settle down in the settling tank. During this the impurities like iron, sand and other traces accumulates at the bottom of the tank.

The remaining solution that is somewhat like coffee in color is then passed through several filters of cloth. These filters filtrates even the very fine pieces of unwanted materials. This filtered solution along with some seed crystals is then passed through a group of tanks that are as tall as a six story building. The dissolved alumina sticks to the crystals resulting in the growth of the crystals. The crystals are then separated and dehydrated at high temperature, to remove chemically attached water molecules.

2) Smelting of Alumina
The next step of aluminum process is smelting, in which the reduction of alumina into metallic aluminum is carried out. In this phase of the aluminum process, the crystals obtained are dissolved in the liquid cryolite. The electrolytic solution thus formed, allows the electric current to pass through. When a direct current is passed through the solution, it breaks the bond between oxygen and aluminum. The released aluminum gets collected at the bottom of the reduction pot.

The aluminum collected through this aluminum process can now be used for various purposes. Aluminum is a very light metal and is applicable in various applications such as automobile parts, aircrafts, building and construction, power transmission, cookwares and utensils, corrosion resistant instruments, equipments, consumer goods etc.
 






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