Extraction of aluminium from bauxite
- Aluminium is a reactive metal, above carbon in the reactivity series
- Its main ore, is bauxite, which contains aluminium oxide
- Aluminium is higher in the reactivity series than carbon, so it cannot be extracted by reduction using carbon
- Instead, aluminium is extracted by electrolysis
The electrolysis of aluminium
Diagram showing the extraction of aluminium by electrolysis
Exam Tip
If you are a Core student, you do not need to explain the process of extraction of aluminium by electrolysis.
