Bhamulo

I-Bauxite Ore ngumthombo oyinhloko womhlaba we-aluminium. I-Ore kumele kuqala icutshungulwe ngamakhemikhali ukukhiqiza i-alumina (aluminium oxide). I-Alumina yabe isishaywe kusetshenziswa inqubo ye-electrolys ukukhiqiza insimbi emsulwa ye-aluminium. I-Bauxite imvamisa itholakala endaweni ephezulu kakhulu ezindaweni ezahlukahlukene ezishisayo nasezindaweni eziphansi. I-ore itholakala ngokusebenza kwemvelo yezokumbiwa kwezemvelo. Izinqolobane zeBauxite ziningi kakhulu e-Afrika, i-Oceania naseNingizimu Melika. Izinkomo kulindeleke ukuthi zihlale emakhulwini eminyaka.

Amaqiniso asutha

• I-Aluminium kumele ihlanzwe kusuka ku-ore
  Yize i-aluminium iyinsimbi evame kakhulu etholakala emhlabeni (amaphesenti ayi-8 e-planet's crust), insimbi isebenza kakhulu nezinye izinto ezenzeka ngokwemvelo. I-Bauxite Ore, ecwengelwe ngezinqubo ezimbili, ingumthombo oyinhloko we-aluminium.
• Ukulondolozwa Komhlaba kugxilwe embonini ebalulekile
  Isilinganiso samaphesenti angama-80 omgodi we-bauxite abuyiselwa kwimvelo yawo yendabuko. I-topsoil kusuka esizeni sezimayini igcinwa ukuze ithathelwe indawo ngesikhathi senqubo yokuvuselela.
• Izinsuku zizohlala emakhulwini eminyaka
  Yize ukufunwa kwe-aluminium kukhula ngokushesha, okugcinwe yi-Bauxite, njengamanje kulinganiselwa kumathani ama-metric angama-40 kuye kwangama-75, kulindeleke ukuthi kuhlale amakhulu eminyaka. IGuinea ne-Australia zinezinqolobane ezimbili ezinkulu kakhulu ezifakazelwe.
• Ingcebo ye-Bauxite Reserves
  IVietnam ingabamba ingcebo yeBauxite. NgoNovemba 2010, uNdunankulu waseVietnam wamemezela izindawo zokugcina izwe kungenzeka zize zibe ngamathani ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane eziyi-11.

Bauxite 101

I-Bauxite Ore ngumthombo oyinhloko womhlaba we-aluminium

I-Bauxite yidwala elakhiwe kusuka ezintweni ezibomvu zobumba ezibizwa ngokuthi inhlabathi elandelayo futhi ivame ukutholakala ezindaweni ezishisayo noma eziphansi. I-Bauxite ngokuyinhloko yakhiwa ama-aluminium axide ahlanganisiwe (i-alumina), i-silica, i-iron oxides ne-titanium dioxide. Cishe amaphesenti angama-70 omkhiqizo we-bauxite womhlaba acwengiwe ngenqubo yamakhemikhali eBayer e-Alumina. I-Alumina yabe isicwengile kwinqubo ye-aluminium emsulwa ngenqubo ye-HALL-Héroult electrolytic.

IMining Bauxite

I-Bauxite ivame ukutholakala eduze kobuso bendawo futhi ingahle ibekwe emthonjeni kwezomnotho. Umkhakha uthathe iqhaza lobuholi emizamweni yokulondolozwa kwemvelo. Lapho umhlaba ususiwe ngaphambi kwezimayini, i-topsoil ingagcinwa ukuze ithathelwe indawo ngesikhathi sokuvuselelwa kabusha. Ngesikhathi senqubo ye-strip-mining, i-bauxite iqhekeke yaphuthunyiswa emayini eya e-alumina ecwengekile. Uma izimayini ziqediwe, i-topsoil yangena esikhundleni futhi le ndawo ithola inqubo yokubuyiselwa. Lapho i-ore imbiwe ezindaweni ezinamahlathi, isilinganiso samaphesenti angama-80 omhlaba sibuyiselwa kwimvelo yalo yendabuko.

Ukukhiqizwa nezinqolobane

Amathani ama-bauxite angaphezu kwezigidi eziyi-160 ambiwa unyaka ngamunye. Abaholi ekukhiqizweni kweBauxite bafaka i-Australia, China, Brazil, India kanye Guinea. I-Bauxite Reservas ilinganiselwa ukuthi ibe ngamathani ama-metric ayizigidi ezingama-55 kuye kwangama-75 kuye kwangama-75, ikakhulukazi asatshalaliswa e-Afrika (amaphesenti angama-32), i-Oceania (amaphesenti angama-23), iSouth America (amaphesenti angama-21) kanye ne-Asia (Amaphesenti ayi-18).

Ngibheke phambili: Ukuqhubeka kokuthuthuka emizamweni yokubuyiselwa kwemvelo

Izinhloso zokubuyiselwa kwemvelo ziyaqhubeka ziqhubekele phambili. Iphrojekthi yokubuyiselwa kwezinto eziphilayo ezikhona entshonalanga ne-Australia inikeza isibonelo esiholayo. Injongo: Ukuvuselela kabusha izinga elilinganayo lokuceba kwezinhlobo zezitshalo ezindaweni ezivuselelwa ezilingana nehlathi likaJarrah elingasenayela. (Ihlathi leJarrah lithule ihlathi elivulekile. I-Eucalyptus marginata isihlahla esivelele.)

I-les baux, ikhaya le-bauxite

UBauxite waqanjwa ngegama ngemuva kwedolobhana laseLes Baux nguPierre Berthe. Lo msizi wesayensi yama-French wathola i-ore kumadiphozi aseduze. Wayengowokuqala ukuthola ukuthi i-bauxite yayiqukethe i-aluminium.