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The Extraction of Metals Aluminium Aluminium is the most abundant metal in the Earth's crust. Most aluminium ores do not have a high enough aluminium content to make extraction economical. Bauxite, its main ore, is the one from which aluminium is extracted. Bauxite is impure aluminium oxide (Al2O3). The first step is to purify it. Aluminium is more reactive than carbon so it cannot be reduced by carbon. Instead, aluminium oxide is electrolysed (see Chapter 11: Uses of Electrolysis). There are, however, a few considerations to take into account for the electrolysis of aluminium oxide: * For electrolysis, as you should know, the ions must be free to move. They are only free when molten or in solution. Aluminium oxide does not dissolve in water and its melting point is over 2000ºC. The energy required to heat it would make the process inefficient. So, aluminium oxide is dissolved in cryolite (Na3AlF6), another ore of...

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