Electrolytic Extraction of Aluminum from Bauxite and Alumina
Overall electrolytic reaction can be seen below:. 4A13+(1) + 602(1) → 4A1 (s) + 3O2(g). Aluminum is the third most plentiful element in the earth's crust, being found abundantly as trioxosilicates (IV) in rocks and clays. The main source of aluminum is the extracted from bauxite by electrolysis. The extraction proceeds in two stages.