IGCSEScienceCambridge (CIE)Combined ScienceChemistryRevision Notes9. MetalsExtraction of MetalsExtraction of Aluminium from Bauxite

Extraction of Aluminium from Bauxite (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Combined Science): Revision Note

Exam code: 0653

Caroline Carroll

Written by: Caroline Carroll

Reviewed by: Richard Boole

Updated on

Cambridge (CIE) Combined Science: ChemistryCambridge (CIE) Co-ordinated Sciences (Double Award): ChemistryCambridge (CIE) Chemistry

Extraction of aluminium from bauxite

  • Aluminium is a reactive metal that is above carbon in the reactivity series 

  • Its main ore is bauxite, which contains aluminium oxide

  • Aluminium is more reactive than carbon, so it cannot be extracted from its ore by reduction using carbon

  • Instead, aluminium is extracted by electrolysis

  • In this process, aluminium oxide is electrolysed when dissolved in molten cryolite

The electrolysis of aluminium

Aluminium extraction, IGCSE & GCSE Chemistry revision notes

Diagram showing the extraction of aluminium by electrolysis

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Author
Reviewer
Caroline Carroll

Author: Caroline Carroll

Expertise: Physics & Chemistry Subject Lead

Caroline graduated from the University of Nottingham with a degree in Chemistry and Molecular Physics. She spent several years working as an Industrial Chemist in the automotive industry before retraining to teach. Caroline has over 12 years of experience teaching GCSE and A-level chemistry and physics. She is passionate about creating high-quality resources to help students achieve their full potential.

Richard Boole

Reviewer: Richard Boole

Expertise: Chemistry Content Creator

Richard has taught Chemistry for over 15 years as well as working as a science tutor, examiner, content creator and author. He wasn’t the greatest at exams and only discovered how to revise in his final year at university. That knowledge made him want to help students learn how to revise, challenge them to think about what they actually know and hopefully succeed; so here he is, happily, at SME.