Which metal is extracted from bauxite ore?

Aluminium is extracted from bauxite ore.

Bauxite is the principal ore used to produce aluminium. Industrial processing first refines bauxite into alumina, or aluminium oxide, through the Bayer process. The alumina is then converted into aluminium metal by electrolysis in the Hall–Héroult process.

Aluminium is lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and easy to shape. Its low density makes it valuable in aircraft, vehicles, packaging, construction, electrical transmission, and household products. A thin oxide layer forms naturally on its surface and helps protect the underlying metal.

Bauxite is not pure aluminium and does not look like a shiny metal. It is a mixture of aluminium-bearing minerals, commonly including gibbsite, boehmite, and diaspore, along with iron oxides and other impurities. Recycling aluminium requires far less energy than producing it from ore.