Refining Aluminium does not naturally occur as a metal, but must be refined from bauxite in its oxide form commonly known as alumina.
Alcoa operates a three-refinery system in Western Australia – Kwinana, Pinjarra and Wagerup.
The Bayer refining process, used by alumina refineries worldwide to extract alumina from bauxite, involves four steps: digestion, clarification, precipitation and calcination.
Alumina is the feedstock for aluminium smelters. It is a white granular material, a little less coarse than table salt, and is technically called aluminium oxide.
