hallhéroult
The Hall-Héroult process, named after American chemist Charles Martin Hall and French engineer Paul Héroult, is the dominant industrial method for producing aluminum metal. It electrolytically reduces alumina (Al2O3) dissolved in molten cryolite (Na3AlF6) to yield aluminum. The process was developed independently by Hall and Héroult in 1886 and quickly commercialized, transforming the aluminum industry.
In operation, a bath of molten cryolite with dissolved alumina is contained in a carbon-lined electrolytic
Significance and challenges: Hall-Héroult smelting is the primary method for producing nearly all commercially manufactured aluminum,