Aluminum Flow-Sheet

The figure shown below schematically describes Aluminum Production. Aluminum is produced from alumina by an electrolytic process that uses large quantities of electrical energy to separate aluminum from oxygen in the alumina. For this process, a modern smelter requires about 13,500 (DC) kilowatt-hours of electricity to produce one tonne of aluminum.

In nature, aluminum is never found in its metallic state but is a common constituent of many minerals where it is normally combined with silicon and oxygen. Bauxite is the only ore from which aluminum can be economically retrieved.

Once the ore is mined, a chemical process is used to extract aluminum oxide, or alumina, and an electrolytic process reduces the alumina to aluminum. Some four to five tonnes of bauxite are required to produce the two tonnes of alumina which yield one tonne of aluminum. The photograph of left shows the production of aluminum, from red ore to white powder to silvery metal.

Click on any stage in the process to view a description of that step.

Description: A description of Aluminum Production is also available, including information on Alcan's future plant in Alma, Quebec. In addition, some information about aluminum is online, including advantages and end uses.

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