ALUMINUM

Αλουμίνιο

By Precious Ozuomba,
Chief scientific adviser
 Al13

WHAT IS ALUMINUM?

• Aluminum is one of Earth’s most abundant

substances

• It makes up about 8% of the Earth’s crust

• It is found in the form of bauxite

 WHY DO WE NEED ALUMINUM?

Used for manufacturing Its used for making cans

planes

Used for making aluminum wires

Used for making saucepans and kitchen utensils
ALUMINUM AND IT’S PROPERTIES

Aluminum has a It is highly

It is completely
relatively low resistant to
non-toxic
density. corrosion

Its ability to reflect

It is a great
It is a great heat makes it a
electrical
thermal conductor good thermal
conductor.
insulator

Aluminum is 100% It is malleable and

recyclable ductile
 • Impure bauxite is first mined

• Bauxite is then heated with NaOH to dissolve

aluminum oxide.

THE PROCESS • That leaves behind impurities (Fe2O3) which are

OF ALUMINUM filtrated.

EXTRACTION • The filtrate(Al(OH)4- is treated to produce aluminum

(BAYER hydroxide

PROCESS) • The aluminum hydroxide undergoes filtration, washed

and heated

• Purified aluminum hydroxide is electrolyzed by the Hall

Heroult process.
How is Aluminum made?
HALL-HEROULT PROCESS
 DRAWBACKS OF ALUMINUM INDUSTRY

• Loss of landscape due to bauxite mining and the processing plant needed.
• Vast areas of vegetation being burnt and destroyed killing habitats for fauna as well
as increasing soil erosion.
• Contamination of water bodies by red mud
• The electrolysis involves the use of a large amount of electricity
• Energy and material cost are expensive since the carbon anodes need constant
replacement.
• Fluorine and fluorine-based compounds lost from the cryolite during electrolysis are
poisonous.
 CONCLUSION

Aluminum proves to be Aluminum has future

an important element potential as it’s the
essential to human most abundant metal
needs. on earth.

However aluminum has

Antigua as a country
its draw backs and not
should invest in the
every country is
aluminum industry by
designed for aluminum
financial contributions.
extraction.
 A-Level Chemistry Second Edition, 1985 published by
Stanley Thornes Ltd, Old Station Drive, Leckhampton,
CHELTENHAM GL53 0DN

References  Chemistry for Cape Examinations published in 2014

by Helen Jacobs, Novelette Sadler-McKnight, Stewart
McLean, Patrice Piggot-Cumberbatch, Graeme Corbin
and Mike Taylor