Bauxite

From WikiMD.org
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Bauxite

Bauxite (pronounced: /ˈbɔːksaɪt/) is a sedimentary rock with a relatively high aluminium content. It is the world's main source of aluminium and gallium.

Etymology

The term "Bauxite" is derived from Les Baux-de-Provence, a town in southern France where it was first discovered in 1821 by geologist Pierre Berthier.

Description

Bauxite consists mostly of the aluminium minerals gibbsite (Al(OH)3), boehmite (γ-AlO(OH)) and diaspore (α-AlO(OH)), mixed with the two iron oxides goethite (FeO(OH)) and haematite (Fe2O3), the aluminium clay mineral kaolinite (Al2Si2O5(OH)) and small amounts of anatase (TiO2) and ilmenite (FeTiO3 or FeO.TiO2).

Production and Uses

Bauxite is primarily a metallic mineral though it is also used as an industrial mineral. It is the only ore used for large scale aluminium production. Although aluminium is the most abundant metallic element in the earth's crust, it is rarely found in its elemental state. It is found in over 270 different minerals. The most common of these is bauxite, which is used in the production of aluminium.

Related Terms

  • Aluminium: A chemical element in the boron group with symbol Al and atomic number 13. It is a silvery-white, soft, nonmagnetic, ductile metal.
  • Gallium: A chemical element with the symbol Ga and atomic number 31. Elemental gallium is a soft, silvery metal at standard temperature and pressure.
  • Sedimentary Rock: Rock that has formed through the deposition and solidification of sediment, especially sediment transported by water (rivers, lakes, and oceans), ice (glaciers), and wind.

External links

Esculaap.svg

This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.


Languages: - East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski