Bauxite
Bauxite is basically an aluminous rock containing hydrated aluminium oxide as the main constituent and iron oxide, silica and titania in varying proportions. Hydrated aluminium oxides present in the bauxite ore are diaspore and boehmite, Al2o3, H2O, (Al2O3 -85%; Al -45%); gibbsite or hydrargillite, Al2O3, 3H2O (Al2O3 -65.4%; Al -34.6%) , and bauxite (containing colloidal alumina hydrogel), Al2O3, Al2O3, 2H2O (Al2O3 -73.9%; Al -39.1%). The iron Oxide in bauxite ore is present as hematite or goethite, silica as clay and free quartz, and titania as leucoxene or ruthile. Bauxite is an essential ore of aluminium which is one of the most important non ferrous metals used in the modern industry. It is also an essential ore for refractory and Chemical industries. The country has abundant resources of bauxite which can meet both domestic and export demands.
Properties
- Bauxite is typically a soft material with a hardness of only 1 to 3 on the Mohs scale.
- It is white to gray to reddish brown with a pisolitic structure, earthy luster and a low specific gravity of between 2.0 and 2.5.
- These properties are useful for identifying bauxite; however, they have nothing to do with bauxite’s value or usefulness.
