Bayerprosessissa

Bayer process is a series of chemical reactions for extracting pure aluminum from bauxite, the most abundant ore of aluminum. The process was invented in 1888 by Carl Josef Bayer. Bauxite, primarily composed of aluminum hydroxide, is first crushed and dissolved in a hot solution of sodium hydroxide (NaOH). This process, known as digestion, separates aluminum hydroxide from the other components in the bauxite. The resulting solution is then cooled, and the aluminum hydroxide precipitates out of the solution. This precipitate is then washed, dried, and heated in a kiln to produce aluminum oxide, or alumina. The alumina is then smelted using the Hall-Héroult process to produce pure aluminum. The Bayer process is the primary industrial means of refining bauxite to produce alumina, which is used as the primary source of the aluminum metal. The process is energy-intensive and produces a significant amount of waste, known as red mud, which is a byproduct of the process. The Bayer process is named after its inventor, Carl Josef Bayer.