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Bauxite is primarily a metallic mineral that is used for large scale aluminium production. Bauxite ore is soft and rich in alumina. Its name comes from the Les Baux de Provence, France where it was first discovered in the year 1821. It is formed when aluminosilicates break down into different types of hydrated aluminium oxide, as the minerals are weathered. In 1951, Vadasz classified bauxite into two categories, namely, lateritic bauxite and karst bauxite. The formula of bauxite in its raw form is Al2O3.nH2O.
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Key words: Bauxite, Chemical Formula, Mineral, Aluminium, Uses
Uses of Bauxite
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The most important use of bauxite is of its being the primary ore of aluminium. However, there are some other common uses of bauxite. Some of these are:
- Metallurgy
- Industries
- Building Material and Road Aggregates
- Other Uses
1. Metallurgy
- Bauxite is the primary ore to produce aluminium.
- Processes like Bayer Process and Hall- Heroult Process help in extraction of aluminium from bauxite.
- Upon extraction, the aluminium and aluminium based alloys are used in various fields such as electronics, construction, vehicles etc.
2. Industries
- Bauxite serves as a raw material for various industries such as the chemical industry, refractory, cement, steel, petroleum industry and many more.
- Bauxite is also the main component in the aeroplane making industry, electric industry, machinery and tool-making industries.
- In the steel industry, bauxite is used as a slag corrector to replace fluorine.
- Bauxite in addition with alumina is used in manufacturing of aluminium based chemicals.
- It is used as a raw material in refractory industries to manufacture various products.
3. Building Material and Road Aggregates
- Bauxite is used as a raw material in building construction and road aggregates.
- It is also used for precast concrete, sewage pipelines, factory chimney construction and other applications.
- The two types of bauxite have different purposes. Lateritic bauxite is used in the form of building material whereas Karst bauxite is used as an anti- skid road aggregate to prevent accidents.
4. Other Uses
- Bauxite is used in some other sectors such as paint, plastic, rubber and cosmetics.
- It also has wide application in paper making, water purification and petroleum refining.
- Bauxite absorbs moisture from the environment and hence is used as a dehydrator to keep items like medicines sterile.
Learn More About:
| Important Concepts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Mineral and Energy Resources | Energy | Sedimentary Rocks |
| Igneous Rocks | Corrosion | Carbon and its Compounds |
Types of Bauxite
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In 1951, Vadasz classified bauxite into two categories, namely, lateritic bauxite and karst bauxite.
- Lateritic Bauxites: Lateritic Bauxites, also known as silicate bauxites, are formed due to the lateralization of various silicate rocks such as granite, gneiss, basalt, and shale. The formation depends on the intense weathering conditions with an excellent drainage system in the location.
- Karst Bauxites: Karst Bauxites, also known as carbonate bauxites, are formed by lateritic weathering and residual accumulation of intercalated clay layers.
Types of Bauxite
Things to Remember
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- Bauxite is a rock not a mineral.
- It is primarily used for large scale aluminium production.
- It was first discovered in the year 1821.
- There are two types of bauxites: lateritic bauxites and karst bauxites.
- Bauxite is popularly used in the field of metallurgy, industries, In building material and road aggregates.
Do Check Out:
| Important Concepts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Magnesium Carbonate | Atoms & Molecules | Unsaturated Hydrocarbons |
| Properties of Matter | Etard Reaction | Saturated Hydrocarbons |
| Oxoacids of Sulphur | Tollen’s Test | Tyndall Effect |
Previous Year Questions
- Bauxite is…? (COMEDK UGET 2011)
- Bauxite, an ore of aluminium is purified by…?
- The common impurity present in bauxite is…? (KCET 2018)
- In the leaching method, bauxite ore is digested with a concentrated solution of NaOH that produces X…? (JEE Main 2018)
- The ore of aluminium is…?
- In Hall’s process the main reagent is mixed with…?
- Name the process used for purification of white bauxite ore containing no iron oxide as impurity…?
- Mineral of aluminium that does not contain oxygen is…?
- The complex formed when Al₂O₃ is leached from Bauxite using concentrated NaOH solution is…? (KCET 2016)
Sample Questions
Ques: How is bauxite formed? (2 marks)
Ans: Bauxite deposits are primarily produced by aluminous rock weathering; some have been transported to their present sites, but most are residual accumulations from which most other components of the parent rock are leached, besides alumina.
Ques: Why is bauxite used in cement? (3 marks)
Ans: Bauxite contains hydrated alumina, oxides of iron and titanium and small amounts of silica along with a high proportion of aluminium. The raw materials for cement are limestone and bauxite. High Alumina cement contains 40% Al and lime each and 15% oxides of iron. Therefore, bauxite is used in the making of cement.
Ques: What is the difference between bauxite and alumina? (3 marks)
Ans: Bauxite is the ore of aluminium whose main constituent is alumina. Being a mineral, bauxite contains stones, silica, iron, sand and other impurities alongside alumina which are removed using physical and chemical methods. Purified alumina is then electrolyzed to obtain aluminium metal.
Ques: How can aluminium oxide turn into bauxite when it is buried deep in the earth? (5 marks)
Ans: After the creation of the earth, all the abundant aluminium atoms are found as compounds, bauxite being one of them. There wouldn’t need to be free oxygen where bauxite was created. Free aluminium atoms are perfectly capable of pulling oxygen atoms away from other compounds particularly in the high-temperature conditions around as the earth was being formed. Iron oxide and aluminium powders are mixed and used in the thermite process. Here the aluminium strips the iron oxide of its oxygen forming molten iron in the process. This reaction gives off a lot of heat, hence the molten iron.
Ques: How do minerals occur in sedimentary rocks? (1 mark)
Ans: Minerals are found in sedimentary rocks in the form of beds and layers due to their concentration in horizontal strata.
Ques: What are the most common applications for bauxite? (5 marks)
Ans: Bauxite is used for a variety of purposes, including metallurgy, chemical industries, and as a raw material in construction and road aggregates. The greatest and only material for manufacturing aluminium metal is bauxite. Bauxite is used in chemical Industries, refractory bricks, abrasives, cement, steel, and petroleum. Due to its low density, aluminium is mostly used in the construction of transportation vehicles including as aeroplanes, automobiles, trucks, railway carriages, spacecraft, and marine vessels.
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