12-20-2021, 06:00 AM
Aluminum is the third most abundant element and the most abundant metal found in the Earth's crust. It is generally found on Earth in minerals and compounds such as feldspar, beryl, cryolite, and turquoise. Extracting aluminum from minerals, however, is very expensive. Fortunately, the ore bauxite contains large amounts of aluminum oxide. Modern processes allow for aluminum to be obtained from bauxite fairly cheaply allowing for the metal to be used in a number of applications.