Aluminum oxide

Aluminum Oxide

Aluminum Oxide (pronounced: əˈlo͞omənəm ˈäkˌsīd), also known as Alumina, is an oxide of aluminum, occurring in nature as various minerals such as bauxite, corundum, etc. It is used as an abrasive and in the production of refractory materials.

Etymology

The term "Aluminum Oxide" is derived from the English word "Aluminum", which is the American and Canadian spelling for aluminium, and "Oxide", which refers to a binary compound of oxygen with an element or group.

Related Terms

Aluminum: A silvery-white, ductile metallic element, the most abundant in the earth's crust but found only in combination, chiefly in bauxite.
Oxide: A binary compound of oxygen with an element or group.
Bauxite: An amorphous clayey rock that is the chief commercial ore of aluminum.
Corundum: A mineral, aluminum oxide, Al2O3, notable for its hardness: transparent varieties, as sapphire and ruby, are used as gems, other varieties as abrasives and in ceramic bodies.
Abrasive: Any material or substance used for grinding, polishing, etc., as emery, pumice, or sandpaper.
Refractory materials: Materials having the ability to retain their physical shape and chemical identity when subjected to high temperatures.