ETYM French, from Baux or Beaux, near Arles.
A clay-like mineral; the chief ore of aluminum; composed of aluminum oxides and aluminum hydroxides; used as an abrasive and catalyst.
Principal ore of aluminum, consisting of a mixture of hydrated aluminum oxides and hydroxides, generally contaminated with compounds of iron, which give it a red color. It is formed by the chemical weathering of rocks in tropical climates. Chief producers of bauxite are Australia, Guinea, Jamaica, Russia, Kazakhstan, Surinam, and Brazil.
To extract aluminum from bauxite, high temperatures (about 800şC) are needed to make the ore molten. Strong electric currents are then passed through the molten ore. The process is only economical if cheap electricity is readily available, usually from a hydroelectric plant. + prikaži više