Bauxite

Principal Uses of Bauxite

Bauxite does not have many uses as far as it is concerned. The only thing is that it holds great importance as being the primary ore of aluminium, and we know this metal is used in a lot of things. Apart from this let’s look at some common uses of Bauxite.

1. Metallurgy
2. Industries
3. In building material and road aggregates
4. Other Uses

1. Metallurgy

• Bauxite is the best and only material for making aluminium.
• There are several processes like the Bayer Process and Hall-Heroult Process involved in the extraction of aluminium from bauxite.
• And once extracted, aluminium and aluminium-based alloys are used extensively in electronics, construction, vehicles and even in utensils.

2. Industries

• Bauxite is used in a lot of industries like the chemical industry, refractory, abrasive, cement, steel, and petrol industry amongst others.
• In chemicals, bauxite along with alumina is used in the manufacturing of aluminium chemicals.
• In refractory, it is used as a raw material for making several products.
• Bauxite is the main constituent material in the aeroplane-making industry, electric industry, machinery and civil tool-making industry.
• It is also used as a desiccating agent, adsorbent, catalyst and in the manufacture of dental cement.

3. In Building Material and Road Aggregates

• Lateritic bauxite is often used as building material when no other materials are available.
• Calcined bauxite is used by construction companies as an anti-skid road aggregate which is used in selected areas to prevent accidents.

4. Other Uses

• Bauxite has limited uses but the wide application in paper making, water purifying, and petroleum refining.
• Additionally, Bauxite is also used in some other sectors like rubber, plastic, paint and cosmetics.