Reduction of Bauxite through Hydrogen

Abstract

The present investigation aims at beneficiating the run of the mined bauxite mineral for enhancing the purity of alumina which can be subsequently treated for aluminium extraction. The present process involves reduction of the bauxite mineral by molecular hydrogen, non-thermal hydrogen plasma and thermal hydrogen plasma respectively followed by magnetic separation. The products are characterized after each stage of operation for their chemical composition, XRD (X-ray Diffraction) analysis and microscopic analysis. The results revealed that hydrogen could reduce iron oxide present in the bauxite and subsequently these iron bearing constituents can be removed from the bauxite mineral through magnetic separation. It was observed that alumina of moderate purity can be obtained through the above process used in the present study. The separated alumina after hydrogen reduction of bauxite mineral and subsequent magnetic separation was reduced further by hydrogen plasma which could yield aluminium of moderate purity.