Bauxite

I-Bauxite ore ngowona mthombo we-aluminiyam ehlabathini. Intsimbi ekrwada kufuneka iqale igawulwe ngokwekhemikhali ukuze ivelise ialumina (i-aluminiyam oxide). I-alumina ke iyanyibilikiswa kusetyenziswa inkqubo ye-electrolysis ukuvelisa isinyithi esisulungekileyo se-aluminiyam. I-Bauxite idla ngokufumaneka kumhlaba ongaphezulu obekwe kwiindawo ezahlukeneyo zetropiki kunye ne-subtropical. Intsimbi ekrwada ifunyanwa ngokwenza imisebenzi yokwembiwa kwemigodi ngoxanduva lokusingqongileyo. Oovimba beBauxite baxhaphake kakhulu eAfrika, eOceania naseMzantsi Melika. Oovimba kuqikelelwa ukuba baya kuhlala kangangeenkulungwane.

Thatha-Away Facts

• I-aluminiyam kufuneka icocwe kwintsimbi ekrwada
  Nangona i-aluminiyam iyeyona ntsimbi ixhaphakileyo efumaneka eMhlabeni (i-8 yepesenti ye-crust yeplanethi), isinyithi sisebenza kakhulu kunye nezinye izinto ukuba zenzeke ngokwemvelo. I-Bauxite ore, ehlanjululwe ngeenkqubo ezimbini, ngumthombo oyintloko we-aluminium.
• Ulondolozo lomhlaba yeyona nto iphambili ekugxilwe kuyo kushishino
  Umlinganiselo wama-80 ekhulwini womhlaba owombiwe i<em>bauxite ubuyiselwa kwindawo yawo yendalo. Umhlaba ongaphezulu osuka kwindawo yokomba ugcinwe ukuze utshintshwe ngexesha lenkqubo yokubuyisela kwisimo sangaphambili.
• Oovimba baya kuhlala kangangeenkulungwane
  Nangona imfuno ye-aluminiyam isanda ngokukhawuleza, oovimba be-bauxite, ngoku baqikelelwa kuma-40 ukuya kuma-75 eebhiliyoni zeetoni zeemetric, kuqikelelwa ukuba baya kuhlala iinkulungwane. IGuinea kunye neOstreliya zineendawo ezimbini ezinkulu eziqinisekisiweyo.
• Ubutyebi beendawo zokugcina i-bauxite
  IVietnam inokubamba ubutyebi be-bauxite. NgoNovemba ka-2010, inkulumbuso yaseVietnam yabhengeza ukuba indawo yokugcina i-bauxite yelizwe inokufikelela kwi-11 yeebhiliyoni zeetoni.

I-Bauxite 101

I-Bauxite ore ngowona mthombo we-aluminiyam ehlabathini

I-Bauxite lilitye elenziwe ngezinto zodongwe ezibomvu ezibizwa ngokuba ngumhlaba we-lateite kwaye lixhaphake ngokufumaneka kwiindawo ezishushu okanye ezishushu. I-Bauxite ngokuyinhloko iqulethwe yi-aluminium oxide compounds (i-alumina), i-silica, i-iron oxides kunye ne-titanium dioxide. Malunga ne-70 yepesenti yemveliso ye-bauxite yehlabathi icokiswa ngenkqubo yekhemikhali ye-Bayer ibe yi-alumina. I-alumina ke iye yahluzwa ibe yintsimbi esulungekileyo ye-aluminiyam ngokusebenzisa inkqubo ye-electrolytic yeHolo-Héroult.

I-bauxite yemigodi

I-Bauxite idla ngokufunyanwa kufutshane nomhlaba kwaye inokuchithwa ngokwezoqoqosho. Ishishini lithathe indima yobunkokeli kwiinzame zolondolozo lwendalo esingqongileyo. Xa umhlaba ucocwa phambi kombiwa, umhlaba ongaphezulu uyagcinwa ukuze utshintshwe ngexesha lokubuyisela. Ngexesha lokwembiwa kwemigodi, i-bauxite iyaqhawuka ize ikhutshwe emgodini isiwe kwindawo yokuhluza i-alumina. Emva kokuba umgodi ugqityiwe, umhlaba ongaphezulu uyatshintshwa kwaye indawo ibuyele kwinkqubo yokubuyisela. Xa intsimbi ekrwada isembiwa kwiindawo ezinamahlathi, umlinganiselo wama-80 ekhulwini womhlaba ubuyiselwa kwindawo yawo yendalo.

Imveliso kunye noovimba

Ngaphezulu kwe-160 lezigidi zeetoni zeemetric ze-bauxite zombiwa nyaka ngamnye. Iinkokeli kwimveliso ye-bauxite ziquka i-Australia, i-China, i-Brazil, i-India kunye ne-Guinea. Oovimba be-Bauxite baqikelelwa kwi-55 ukuya kwi-75 yeebhiliyoni zee-metric tons, ngokuyintloko basasazwa kwi-Afrika (i-32 ekhulwini), i-Oceania (i-23 ekhulwini), uMzantsi Melika kunye neCaribbean (i-21 ekhulwini) kunye ne-Asia (i-18 ekhulwini).

Ukujonga phambili: Ukuphuculwa okuqhubekayo kwiinzame zokubuyiselwa kwendalo

Iinjongo zokubuyiselwa kokusingqongileyo ziqhubela phambili. Iprojekthi yokubuyisela izinto ezahlukahlukeneyo kwiNtshona Ostreliya ingumzekelo obalaseleyo. Injongo: ukubuyisela inqanaba elilinganayo lobutyebi beentlobo zezityalo kwiindawo ezihlaziyiweyo ezilingana nehlathi laseJarrah elingombiwanga. (Ihlathi laseJarrah lihlathi elide elivulekileyo. IEucalyptus marginata ngowona mthi ubalaseleyo.)

Les Baux, iKhaya laseBauxite

I-Bauxite yathiywa ngegama lelali yaseLes Baux nguPierre Berthe. Le ngcali yokwakheka komhlaba yaseFransi yafumana intsimbi ekrwada kwiindawo ezikufutshane. Waba ngowokuqala ukufumanisa ukuba i-bauxite ine-aluminiyam.