What is the importance of bauxite for aluminum production?
Bauxite is a mineral mixture (aluminum oxide and hydroxides) that is indispensable for producing aluminum. Even though it is the third most common element in nature, representing nearly 8% of the earth’s crust, the production of aluminum or alumina is only economically feasible if there are large volume deposits with good ore concentration. Four tons of bauxite are necessary to produce two tons of alumina, which in turn generates one ton of aluminum. More than 90% of the world’s production of alumina is used for manufacturing aluminum. The rest is used mainly in the paper and glass industries. Brazil has the third largest ore reserves in the world – 5.9 billion tons, in major deposits in Pará and Minas Gerais. Pará has reserves in the municipalities of Oriximiná, Paragominas and Juruti, which together have a potential of 1.5 billion tons.
