I-Bauxite

I-Bauxite ore ingumthombo oyinhloko we-aluminium emhlabeni. Insimbi kufanele iqale igaywe ngamakhemikhali ukuze ikhiqize i-alumina (i-aluminium oxide). I-alumina ibe isincibilikiswa kusetshenziswa inqubo ye-electrolysis ukuze kukhiqizwe insimbi ehlanzekile ye-aluminium. I-Bauxite ivame ukutholakala emhlabathini ongaphezulu otholakala ezindaweni ezihlukahlukene ezishisayo nezishisayo. I-ore itholwa ngemisebenzi yokumbiwa kwezimayini ngokunakekela imvelo. Iziqiwu ze-Bauxite ziningi kakhulu e-Afrika, e-Oceania naseNingizimu Melika. Izindawo zokulondoloza imali kulindeleke ukuthi zihlale amakhulu eminyaka.

Thatha-Away Amaqiniso

• I-Aluminium kufanele icwengwe kusuka kunsimbi
  Nakuba i-aluminium iyinsimbi evamile kakhulu etholakala eMhlabeni (ingqikithi yamaphesenti angu-8 oqweqwe lweplanethi), insimbi isabela kakhulu nezinye izakhi ukuthi zenzeke ngokwemvelo. I-bauxite ore, ecwengisiswe ngezinqubo ezimbili, ingumthombo oyinhloko we-aluminium.
• Ukongiwa komhlaba yinto esemqoka embonini
  Isilinganiso samaphesenti angu-80 omhlaba ombiwe i-bauxite ubuyiselwa esimweni sawo semvelo. Umhlabathi ongaphezulu ovela endaweni yokumbiwa uyagcinwa ukuze ukwazi ukushintshwa ngesikhathi senqubo yokuvuselela.
• Ukulondoloza kuzohlala amakhulu eminyaka
  Nakuba isidingo se-aluminium sikhula ngokushesha, izindawo ezigciniwe ze-bauxite, okwamanje ezilinganiselwa ku-40 kuya ku-75 billion metric tons, kulindeleke ukuthi zihlale amakhulu eminyaka. IGuinea ne-Australia zinezindawo ezimbili ezinkulu eziqinisekisiwe.
• Ingcebo yezindawo zokugcina i-bauxite
  IVietnam ingase ibambe ingcebo ye-bauxite. NgoNovemba 2010, undunankulu waseVietnam wamemezela ukuthi izindawo zokugcina ze-bauxite zezwe zingafinyelela kumathani ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane eziyi-11.

I-Bauxite 101

I-bauxite ore ingumthombo oyinhloko we-aluminium emhlabeni

I-Bauxite idwala elakhiwe ngento yobumba ebomvu ebizwa ngokuthi inhlabathi ye-lateralite futhi ivame ukutholakala ezindaweni ezishisayo noma ezishisayo. I-Bauxite ngokuyinhloko yakhiwe i-aluminium oxide compounds (i-alumina), i-silica, i-iron oxides ne-titanium dioxide. Cishe amaphesenti angama-70 okukhiqizwa kwe-bauxite emhlabeni acwengwa ngenqubo yamakhemikhali ye-Bayer ibe yi-alumina. I-Alumina ibe isicwengwa ibe insimbi ye-aluminium ehlanzekile ngenqubo ye-Hall–Héroult electrolytic.

I-bauxite yezimayini

I-bauxite ivame ukutholakala eduze nendawo futhi ingambiwa ngokwezomnotho. Imboni ibambe iqhaza emizamweni yokongiwa kwemvelo. Lapho inhlabathi igezwa ngaphambi kokumbiwa, inhlabathi engaphezulu iyagcinwa ukuze ishintshwe ngesikhathi sokuvuselelwa. Ngesikhathi sokumba izimayini, i-bauxite iyahlukaniswa futhi ikhishwe emayini iyiswe endaweni yokuhluza i-alumina. Uma ukumbiwa sekuqediwe, umhlabathi ongaphezulu uyashintshwa futhi indawo iba nenqubo yokubuyisela. Lapho itshe lensimbi limbiwa ezindaweni ezinamahlathi, isilinganiso samaphesenti angu-80 omhlaba sibuyiselwa esimweni sawo semvelo.

Ukukhiqiza kanye nezindawo ezibekiwe

Ngaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-160 zamathani e-bauxite ambiwa minyaka yonke. Abaholi bokukhiqiza i-bauxite bahlanganisa i-Australia, i-China, i-Brazil, i-India ne-Guinea. Iziqiwu ze-Bauxite zilinganiselwa ku-55 kuya ku-75 billion metric tons, ngokuyinhloko zisakazwa e-Afrika (amaphesenti angu-32), i-Oceania (amaphesenti angu-23), iNingizimu Melika kanye neCaribbean (amaphesenti angu-21) kanye ne-Asia (amaphesenti angu-18).

Sibheke phambili: Ukuthuthukiswa okuqhubekayo emizamweni yokubuyisela imvelo

Imigomo yokubuyiselwa kwemvelo iyaqhubeka nokuthuthuka. Iphrojekthi yokubuyisela izinhlobonhlobo zemvelo eNtshonalanga Australia inikeza isibonelo esihamba phambili. Umgomo: ukubuyisela izinga elilinganayo lokunotha kwezinhlobo zezitshalo ezindaweni ezivuselelwe ezilingana nehlathi le-Jarrah elingambiwa phansi. (Ihlathi le-Jarrah liyihlathi elide elivulekile. I-Eucalyptus marginata isihlahla esivelele.)

I-Les Baux, Ikhaya le-Bauxite

I-Bauxite yaqanjwa ngegama ledolobhana laseLes Baux nguPierre Berthe. Lesi sazi sokuma komhlaba saseFrance sathola insimbi ezindaweni eziseduze. Ube ngowokuqala ukuthola ukuthi i-bauxite ine-aluminium.