Extraction of Aluminium

L.O.
• I know how aluminium is
extracted from its ore.
Aluminium: properties

• Aluminium is a reactive metal.

• We might expect it to corrode easily but a
strong coating of oxide on it’s surface prevents
this in most everyday situations.
• It has a low density which leads to its extensive
use in the aerospace industry.
Coating of
O OOO O O O OO oxygen atoms
prevents further
Al Al Al Al Al Al
attack
Al Al Al Al Al Al
Aluminium: ores
• It occurs as bauxite ore which is a form of
aluminium oxide.
• Because aluminium is so reactive carbon is
unable to pull away the oxygen from it.
• It is extracted by electrolysis of molten bauxite.
Early attempts at this failed because bauxite is
so hard to melt.
• If cryolite is added, the bauxite melts more
easily. This is an essential step in the extraction
process.
Electrolytic extraction

A bauxite
Graphite anodes/ cryolite mixture
are inserted is the
into melted in aelectrolyte
molten steel
container containing
ready a carbon lining.
for electrolysis.

Graphite (carbon) anodes

Tank
lined
with
carbon
Steel cathode
case

Molten electrolyte
bauxite + cryolite
Aluminium formation

• Opposite charges
attract.
• And so positive
aluminium ions move
towards the negative
cathode.
• At the cathode these
ions gain electrons
and turn into
aluminium atoms.
Oxygen formation

• Negatively charged oxide

ions move to the anode.
• Here they lose 2 electrons
and so turn into neutral
oxygen atoms.
• These atoms rapidly join
into pairs to form normal
oxygen gas.
Carbon dioxide formation

• Remember the electrolysis is

carried out at high
temperature.
• Under these conditions quite
a lot of the oxygen reacts
with the carbon anode.
• Carbon dioxide is formed
and the anode is rapidly
eaten away and frequently
has to be replaced.
Extraction of aluminium: overall

Vented cover
siphon
Molten
Graphite / carbon anodes
aluminium
out Tank
lined
with
carbon
Steel cathode
case

Molten electrolyte
Molten aluminium bauxite + cryolite
• Compounds can be split up into the
elements which make them using
electricity. This is called electrolysis.
• The aluminium ore is aluminium oxide.
Unscramble the words to end the sentences.

• Common aluminium ore

I axe
bauxite tub
• Added to reduce melting point
City role
cryolite
• The electrodes are made out of
Right
graphiteape
• Extracting aluminium is a
Cretin duo
reduction
Aluminium – the overall process
1. What do we call the substance added to
the aluminium ore prior to electrolysis?

Bauxite
Electrolyte
Cryolite
1. What substance are the cathodes made
from?

Carbon
Iron
Aluminium
3. What happens to the oxygen given off
during electrolysis?

It is given off as waste gases

It reacts with the carbon electrodes to form
carbon dioxide.
It is collected at the bottom of the chamber.