Mining and Refining Process
A hot caustic soda (NaOH) solution is used to dissolve the aluminiumbearing minerals in the bauxite (gibbsite, böhmite and diaspore) to form a sodium aluminate supersaturated solution or "pregnant liquor". Gibbsite: Al (OH) 3 + Na + + OH → Al (OH) 4 + Na + Böhmite and Diaspore: AlO (OH) + Na + + OH + H 2 O → Al (OH) 4 + Na +