What are natural occurring aluminum oxides?
Aside from silicates, aluminas are the most abundant mineral of the earth crust. Thus, it is important for chemical engineers to know some chemistry about aluminas, because they are found and used in so many different places and technologies. Furthermore, aluminum ions often replace silicon ions in silicates forming aluminosilicates, which is discussed in the next page. From the discussion on this page, you will be introduced to various forms of alumina, their structures, and properties so that when you encounter them, you can associate their properties with their chemical identities (compositions) and structures.
