Aluminium is common (abundant- found everywhere, naturally in compounds)
it is expensive due to the extraction process.
Aluminium ore is called bauxite
The bauxite is purified to aluminium oxide - from which aluminium can be extracted.
The extraction is done by electrolysis
aluminium oxide must be melted so that electricity can pass through it
Aluminium oxide has a very high melting point (over 2000°C)
Too expensive to melt it
it is dissolved in moltencryolite - an aluminium compound with a lower melting point than aluminium oxide
The use of cryolite reduces some of the energy costs involved in extracting aluminium

	Created by juliasutton almost 11 years ago

GCSE Chemistry (C2b) Note on Salts, created by juliasutton on 15/04/2014.