Aluminium

Obtaining

   For the first time aluminum was obtained by Hans Oersted in 1825, the action of an amalgam of potassium aluminum chloride followed by distillation of mercury.

   The modern method was developed independently for the American Charles Hall and Frenchman Paul Era in 1886. It consists in dissolving the aluminum oxide Al2O3 in molten cryolite Na3AlF6 followed by electrolysis using graphite electrodes. Such a method of obtaining low cost electricity, and therefore was in demand only in the XX century.

   To produce 1 ton of aluminum bullion requires 1,920 tons of aluminum, 0,065 tons of cryolite, 0,035 tons of aluminum fluoride, 0,600 tonnes of anode paste and 17 thousand kWh of electricity current.