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Columbia Encyclopedia entry: bauxite
Bauxitebôk'sīt, bŏk'–, mixture of hydrated aluminum oxides usually containing oxides of iron and silicon in varying quantities. A noncrystalline substance formerly thought to be a mineral, bauxite is claylike and earthy and ranges in color from white to deep brown or red according to the nature and quantity of its components. Bauxite occurs characteristically in pisolitic form, i.e., composed of small, round concretions. Its composition varies, alumina constituting from about 50% to about 70%. First discovered in Les Baux, France, bauxite is widely distributed, with important deposits occurring in Africa, South America, Russia, the West Indies, and the United States (Alabama, Arkansas, and Georgia). It is the chief source of aluminum and of its compounds, including alumina, alums, and alundum. It is used in the preparation of abrasives and as a refractory for spark plugs and furnace linings.
Wikipedia search results for: Bauxite
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bauxite is the most important aluminium ore. It consists largely of the minerals gibbsite Al 3 , boehmite γ-AlO, and diaspore α-AlO, together with the iron oxides goethite and hematite, the clay mineral kaolinite and small amounts of anatase TiO 2 . It was named after the village Les Baux in southern France, where it was first discovered in 1821 by the geologist Pierre Berthier. Lateritic bauxites are distinguished from karst bauxites. The early discovered carbonate bauxites occur predominantly in Europe and Jamaica above carbonate rocks, where they were formed by lateritic weathering and residual accumulation of intercalated...more »
Columbia Encyclopedia search results: bauxite
Results 1 - 10  of 87
  • Bayer process

    Bayer process, procedure for obtaining alumina from the aluminum ore bauxite. The alumina can then be used for various industrial purposes or smelted to provide aluminum. The first step in the...

  • Ocho Rios

    Ocho Rios, town, NE Jamaica, on the Caribbean Sea. It is a major tourist center, as well as a commercial port that exports mainly bauxite.

  • Adamawa Massif

    Adamawa Massif, plateau, c.26,000 sq mi (67,300 sq km), N central Cameroon and E Nigeria, W central Africa. It is sparsely populated, and chiefly used for grazing. Tin is mined there and bauxi...

  • Carpentaria, Gulf of

    Carpentaria, Gulf of, arm of the Arafura Sea, 305 mi (491 km) wide and 370 mi (595 km) long, indenting the northern coast of Australia. On its eastern shore, near Weipa, lies a vast bauxite de...

  • Man, town, Côte d'Ivoire

    Man, town (1996 est. pop. 112,600), W central Côte d'Ivoire, at the foot of the Toura Mts. It is an administrative and commercial center for a region producing coffee, cacao, kola nuts, rice, ...

  • Boa Vista

    Boa Vista, city (1996 pop. 154,166), capital of Roraima state, NW Brazil, on the Rio Branco. Its economy is based on the processing and shipment of minerals (gold, bauxite, diamonds, and gold)...

  • Kindia

    Kindia, town (1996 pop. 287,607), W Guinea. A rail and road hub, Kindia is the trade center for an area where bananas, manioc, rice, fruits, and vegetables are grown and bauxite is mined. Wood...

  • Pag

    Pag, Ital. Pago, island (101 sq mi/262 sq km), in the Adriatic, off the Dalmatian coast, Croatia. Noted for its fine embroidery and lace, it also has vineyards, a fishing industry, and bauxite...

  • Riau Archipelago

    Riau Archipelago, island group (1990 pop. 568,019), 2,280 sq mi (5,905 sq km), Indonesia, at the entrance to the Strait of Malacca, separated from Malaya by the Strait of Singapore. Its larges...

  • Serov

    Serov, city (1989 pop. 104,000), E European Russia, in the eastern foothills of the Urals, on the Kakvy River. A metallurgical center, Serov produces cast iron and quality steel and has lignit...

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