Question

What is the significance of leaching in the extraction of aluminium?

Answer 1

In the extraction of aluminium, the significance of leaching is to concentrate pure alumina (Al₂O₃) from bauxite ore.

Bauxite usually contains silica, iron oxide, and titanium oxide as impurities. In the process of leaching, alumina is concentrated by digesting the powdered ore with a concentrated solution of NaOH at 473-523 K and 35-36 bar. Under these conditions, alumina (Al₂O₃) dissolves as sodium meta-aluminate and silica (SiO₂) dissolves as sodium silicate leaving the impurities behind.

The impurities are then filtered and the solution is neutralized by passing CO₂ gas. In this process, hydrated Al₂O₃ gets precipitated and sodium silicate remains in the solution. Precipitation is induced by seeding the solution with freshly prepared samples of hydrated Al₂O₃.

Hydrated alumina thus obtained is filtered, dried, and heated to give back pure alumina (Al₂O₃).