Bauxite with a U.S. penny

QEMSCAN mineral maps of bauxite ore-forming pisoliths

Bauxite with core of unweathered rock

Bauxite output in 2005

Bauxite is an aluminium ore and is the main source of aluminium. This form of rock consists mostly of the minerals gibbsite Al(OH)₃, boehmite γ-AlO(OH), and diaspore α-AlO(OH), in a mixture with the two iron oxides goethite and hematite, the clay mineral kaolinite, and small amounts of anatase TiO₂. Bauxite was named after the village Les Baux in southern France, where it was first recognised as containing aluminium and named by the French geologist Pierre Berthier in 1821.

Bauxite formation[link]

Lateritic bauxites (silicate bauxites) are distinguished from karst bauxite ores (carbonate bauxites). The early discovered carbonate bauxites occur predominantly in Europe and Jamaica above carbonate rocks (limestone and dolomite), where they were formed by lateritic weathering and residual accumulation of intercalated clays or by clay dissolution residues of the limestone.

The lateritic bauxites are found mostly in the countries of the tropics. They were formed by lateritization of various silicate rocks such as granite, gneiss, basalt, syenite, and shale. In comparison with the iron-rich laterites, the formation of bauxites demands even more on intense weathering conditions in a location with very good drainage. This enables the dissolution of the kaolinite and the precipitation of the gibbsite. Zones with highest aluminium content are frequently located below a ferruginous surface layer. The aluminium hydroxide in the lateritic bauxite deposits is almost exclusively gibbsite.

In the case of Jamaica, recent analysis of the soils showed elevated levels of cadmium suggesting that the bauxite originates from recent Miocene ash deposits from episodes of significant volcanism in Central America.

Production trends[link]

In 2007, Australia was one of the top producers of bauxite with almost one-third of the world's production, followed by China, Brazil, Guinea, and India. Although aluminium demand is rapidly increasing, known reserves of its bauxite ore are sufficient to meet the worldwide demands for aluminium for many centuries.^{[citation needed]} Increased aluminium recycling, which has the advantage of lowering the cost in electric power in producing aluminium, will considerably extend the world's bauxite reserves.

estimated Numbers for 2008's total proven bauxite reserves x1000 tonne^[1]

Country	Mine production		Reserves	Reserve base
	2007	2008
Guinea	18,000	18,000	7,400,000	8,600,000
Australia	62,400	63,000	5,800,000	7,900,000
Vietnam	30	30	2,100,000	5,400,000
Jamaica	14,600	15,000	2,000,000	2,500,000
Brazil	24,800	25,000	1,900,000	2,500,000
Guyana	1,600	1,600	700,000	900,000
India	19,200	20,000	770,000	1,400,000
China	30,000	32,000	700,000	2,300,000
Greece	2,220	2,200	600,000	650,000
Iran	—	500[2]	—	—
Suriname	4,900	4,500	580,000	600,000
Kazakhstan	4,800	4,800	360,000	450,000
Venezuela	5,900	5,900	320,000	350,000
Russia	6,400	6,400	200,000	250,000
United States	NA	NA	20,000	40,000
Other countries	7,150	6,800	3,200,000	3,800,000
World total (rounded)	202,000	205,000	27,000,000	38,000,000

In November 2010, Nguyen Tan Dung, the prime minister of Vietnam, announced that Vietnam's bauxite reserves might total 11000Mt; this would be the largest in the world.^[3]

Processing[link]

Bauxite being loaded at Cabo Rojo, Dominican Republic, to be shipped elsewhere for processing; 2007

Bauxite is usually strip mined because it is almost always found near the surface of the terrain, with little or no overburden. Approximately 70% to 80% of the world's dry bauxite production is processed first into alumina, and then into aluminium by electrolysis as of 2010. Bauxite rocks are typically classified according to their intended commercial application: metallurgical, abrasive, cement, chemical, and refractory.

Usually, bauxite ore is heated in a pressure vessel along with a sodium hydroxide solution at a temperature of 150 to 200 °C. At these temperatures, the aluminium is dissolved as an aluminate (the Bayer process). After separation of ferruginous residue (red mud) by filtering, pure gibbsite is precipitated when the liquid is cooled, and then seeded with fine-grained aluminium hydroxide. The gibbsite is usually converted into aluminium oxide, Al₂O₃, by heating. This mineral becomes molten at a temperature of about 1000 °C, when the mineral cryolite is added as a flux. Next, this molten substance can yield metallic aluminium by passing an electric current through it in the process of electrolysis, which is called the Hall–Héroult process after its American and French discoverers in 1886.

Prior to the Hall–Héroult process, elemental aluminium was made by heating ore along with elemental sodium or potassium in a vacuum. The method was complicated and consumed materials that were themselves expensive at that time. This made early elemental aluminium more expensive than gold.^[4]

See also[link]

	Book: Aluminium
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

• Alcoa
• Bauxite, Arkansas
• Rio Tinto Alcan
• United Company RUSAL

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Bardossy, G. (1982): Karst Bauxites. Bauxite deposits on carbonate rocks. Elsevier Sci. Publ. 441 p.
• Bardossy, G. and Aleva, G.J.J. (1990): Lateritic Bauxites. Developments in Economic Geology 27, Elsevier Sci. Publ. 624 p. ISBN 0-444-988
• Grant, C; lalor, G and Vutchkov, M (2005) Comparison of bauxites from Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Suriname. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry p.385-388 Vol.266, No.3

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bauxite

• USGS Minerals Information: Bauxite
• Mineral Information Institute
•  "Bauxite". New International Encyclopedia. 1905. 
•  "Bauxite". Encyclopedia Americana. 1920. 

Nathan Fake is an English electronic music artist from Norfolk, who has released numerous singles as well as two album releases on the label Border Community Recordings. His music has been used in soundtracks for TV shows and an advertisement.

In 2006, his debut album Drowning in a Sea of Love was released on Border Community. The album received very good reviews in the music press.^[1] He released a six track mini-album Hard Islands in 2009.^[2]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• Drowning in a Sea of Love (2006) - Border Community
• Hard Islands (2009) - Border Community

EP[link]

• Outhouse (2003) - Border Community
• Watlington Street EP (2004) - Saw Recordings
• The Sky Was Pink (2004) - Border Community
• Dinamo EP (2005) Traum Schallplatten
• Silent Night (2005) - Border Community 7" release
• Drowning in a Sea of Remixes (Remix EP) (2006) - Border Community
• You Are Here (2007) - Border Community

Remixes[link]

• Avus - "Real (Nathan Fake Remix)" - Border Community (2004)
• Perc - "Closer (Nathan Fake Remix)" - Premier Sounds (2004)
• DJ Remy - "Scrambled (Nathan Fake Remix)" - Additive Records (2004)
• Steve Lawler - "Out at Night (Nathan's Night In)" - Subversive Records (2004)
• Tiefschwarz - "Isst (Nathan Fake Remix)" - Fine Records (2005)
• Shocking Pinks - "Dressed To Please (Nathan Fake Remix)" - DFA Records (2008)
• Vincent Oliver - "Cluods in The Haeds (Nathan Fake Remix)" - Lo Recordings (2008)
• Grasscut - "Muppet (Nathan Fake Remix)" - Ninja Tune (2010)
• Jon Hopkins - "Wire (Nathan Fake Remix)" - Double Six Recordings (2010)
• Walls - "Gaberdine" - Kompakt (2010)
• PVT - "Light Up Bright Fires (Nathan Fake Remix)" - Warp Records (2010)
• Radiohead - "Morning Mr Magpie (Nathan Fake RMX)" (2011)

Compilation appearances[link]

• Numb Chance (2006) - Elektronische Musik: Interkontinental 5 - Traum Schallplatten

Collaborations[link]

• "Lava Flow" (collaboration with Milky Globe) (2006) - LoEB

Television[link]

• The track "Grandfathered" was used in an ad for the Motorola Pebl phone and in the television programme Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe.
• The track "You Are Here" was used in the CSI: Miami episode "Miami Confidential". The FortDax remix is used as the theme tune to BBC Four's Newswipe with Charlie Brooker.^[3]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Nathan Fake Official Site
• Border Community
• Nathan Fake feature on BBC Collective
• Nathan Fake discography at Discogs
• Video tutorial on composing by Nathan Fake
• Nathan Fake Mixtape on Andrew Meza's BTS Radio

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