The aluminum in the rock dissolves into the liquid, while the unwanted "red mud" (iron and silica) sinks to the bottom and is filtered out [1, 6].
The remaining clear liquid is cooled, causing white crystals to settle out [1, 6]. How Aluminium is made animation
Massive carbon rods (anodes) are lowered into the vat, and a colossal electric current—hundreds of thousands of amperes—is surged through the liquid [1, 6]. The aluminum in the rock dissolves into the
To start the animation, imagine giant excavators scooping this red earth into a massive grinding mill. The rock is crushed into a fine powder, ready for its first big chemical makeover [6]. Act II: The White Powder (The Bayer Process) 6]. To start the animation
These crystals are baked in a rotary kiln at over 1,000°C [1, 6].