What is Bauxite?
Bauxite is known primarily for being the primary source of aluminium. Virtually all aluminium ever produced has been sourced from bauxite. That said many of the world’s largest aluminium consumers have little to no bauxite deposits and must import it from countries such as China.
Surprisingly bauxite is not a mineral. It is, in fact, a type of residually-enriched rock composed mostly of Al hydroxides, kaolinite, Fe-oxy-hydroxides and more that result from lateritic weathering of aluminosilicate. This process typically occurs in humid, tropical and subtropical climates. Bauxite is vital for aluminium production. Without it, aluminium production on a commercial scale would not be possible.
What is it Used For?
While bauxite is primarily known as the major source of aluminium that is not its only use. Below is a more comprehensive list of commercial uses for bauxite.
Uses of Bauxite
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Most industrial customers buy bauxite in order to produce aluminium.
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Aluminosilicate protoliths are usually extracted from bauxite using either the Bayer Process or the Hall-Heroult Process.
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The resulting aluminium has countless applications including construction, electronics, automobiles, cooking utensils and much more.
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Bauxite is used in myriad other industries including the chemical industry, cement industry, steel industry, petrol industry and many others.
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Bauxite is also used in the manufacturing of aluminium chemicals such as alumina trihydrate.
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Bauxite plays a key role in the production of aeroplanes, electronics, tool-making, vehicle production, industrial machinery, building materials and more.
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Bauxite is also used in refractory to produce materials that are resistant to heat or chemical attack and which retain their integrity at high temperatures.
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Aluminium powder from bauxite is also used as fuel in solid rocket boosters.
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Bauxite is also widely used in the production of paper, in water purification and in the refining of crude oil.
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The rubber, paint, plastics and cosmetics industries also rely to varying degrees on bauxite.
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