... can be only refined using huge amounts of electricity and electricity did not become readily available until this century. Thus, it is known as the metal of the 20th century. There are three process involved in the manufacture of Aluminium: Bauxite mining, alumina refinery and aluminium smelting. Raw Materials - Cryolite (Na3AlF6). Sodium Aluminium Fluoride. This reduces the temperature needed to electrolyse the aluminium reducing the cost. It was originally obtained from mines in Greenland, but the supply has depleted and it is now produced synthetically. - Aluminium fluoride (AlF3), calcium fluoride (CaF2) and Lithium Fluoride (LiF) which play the part of reducing the melting point of the mixture. - Alumina (Al2O3). This is obtained from bauxite, a red rock-like material, which also contains a lot of unwanted substances. Bauxite is mined in Western Australia, Queensland and Northern Territory. Bauxite mining leaves a lot of barren areas which will be investigated later. Bauxite and ...

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