Leading countries in aluminum production - Metalist's Guide
In modern industry, aluminum ore is the most popular raw material. The rapid development of science and technology has made it possible to expand the scope of its application. What aluminum ore is and where it is mined is described in this article.
Industrial importance of aluminum
Aluminum is considered the most common metal. It ranks third in terms of the number of deposits in the earth's crust. Aluminum is also known to everyone as an element in the periodic table, which belongs to light metals.
Aluminum ore is the natural raw material from which this metal is obtained. It is mainly mined from bauxite, which contains aluminum oxides (alumina) in the largest quantities - from 28 to 80%. Other rocks - alunite, nepheline and nepheline-apatite are also used as raw materials for the production of aluminum, but they are of poorer quality and contain significantly less alumina.
Aluminum ranks first in non-ferrous metallurgy. The fact is that due to its characteristics it is used in many industries. Thus, this metal is used in transport engineering, packaging production, construction, and for the manufacture of various consumer goods. Aluminum is also widely used in electrical engineering.
To understand the importance of aluminum for humanity, it is enough to take a closer look at the household things that we use every day. Many household items are made of aluminum: these are parts for electrical appliances (refrigerator, washing machine, etc.), dishes, sports equipment, souvenirs, interior elements. Aluminum is often used to produce various types of containers and packaging. For example, cans or disposable foil containers.
Types of aluminum ores
Aluminum is found in more than 250 minerals. Of these, the most valuable for industry are bauxite, nepheline and alunite. Let's look at them in more detail.
Bauxite ore
Aluminum does not occur in nature in its pure form. It is mainly obtained from aluminum ore - bauxite. It is a mineral that mostly consists of aluminum hydroxides, as well as iron and silicon oxides. Due to the high alumina content (40 to 60%), bauxite is used as a raw material for the production of aluminum.
Physical properties of aluminum ore:
- opaque mineral of red and gray colors of various shades;
- the hardness of the strongest samples is 6 on the mineralogical scale;
- The density of bauxite, depending on the chemical composition, ranges from 2900-3500 kg/m³.
Bauxite ore deposits are concentrated in the equatorial and tropical zones of the earth. More ancient deposits are located in Russia.
How is bauxite aluminum ore formed?
Bauxite is formed from alumina monohydrate, boehmite and diaspore, trihydrate hydrargillite and associated minerals hydroxide and iron oxide.
Depending on the composition of nature-forming elements, three groups of bauxite ores are distinguished:
- Monohydrate bauxite – contains alumina in monohydrate form.
- Trihydrate - such minerals consist of alumina in trihydrate form.
- Mixed - this group includes the previous aluminum ores in combination.
Deposits of raw materials are formed due to the weathering of acidic, alkaline, and sometimes basic rocks or as a result of the gradual deposition of large quantities of alumina on the sea and lake beds.
Alunite ores
This type of deposit contains up to 40% aluminum oxide. Alunite ore is formed in water basins and coastal zones under conditions of intense hydrothermal and volcanic activity. An example of such deposits is Lake Zaglinskoye in the Lesser Caucasus.
The rock is porous. Mainly consists of kaolinites and hydromicas. Ore with an alunite content of more than 50% is of industrial interest.
Nepheline
This is an aluminum ore of igneous origin. It is a fully crystalline alkaline rock. Depending on the composition and technological features of processing, several grades of nepheline ore are distinguished:
- first grade – 60–90% nepheline; it contains more than 25% alumina; processing is carried out by sintering;
- second grade – 40–60% nepheline, the amount of alumina is slightly lower – 22–25%; enrichment is required during processing;
- the third grade is nepheline minerals, which are of no industrial value.
World production of aluminum ores
Aluminum ore was first mined in the first half of the 19th century in the southeast of France, near the town of Box. This is where the name bauxite comes from. At first, this industry developed at a slow pace.
But when humanity appreciated which aluminum ore was useful for production, the scope of aluminum application expanded significantly. Many countries have begun searching for deposits on their territories. Thus, the world production of aluminum ores began to gradually increase. The numbers confirm this fact.
Thus, if in 1913 the global volume of ore mined was 540 thousand tons, then in 2014 it was more than 180 million tons.
The number of countries mining aluminum ore also gradually increased. Today there are about 30 of them. But over the past 100 years, leading countries and regions have constantly changed. Thus, at the beginning of the 20th century, the world leaders in the extraction of aluminum ore and its production were North America and Western Europe. These two regions accounted for about 98% of global production.
Several decades later, in terms of quantitative indicators of the aluminum industry, the countries of Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Soviet Union became the leaders. And already in the 1950s–1960s, Latin America became the leader in terms of production. And in the 1980–1990s. There was a rapid breakthrough in the aluminum industry in Australia and Africa.
In the current global trend, the main leading countries in aluminum production are Australia, Brazil, China, Guinea, Jamaica, India, Russia, Suriname, Venezuela and Greece.
Is it possible to solder an aluminum radiator?
Ore deposits in Russia
In terms of aluminum ore production, Russia ranks seventh in the world ranking. Although aluminum ore deposits in Russia provide the country with large quantities of metal, it is not enough to fully supply the industry. Therefore, the state is forced to buy bauxite from other countries.
In total, there are 50 ore deposits in Russia. This number includes both places where the mineral is being mined and deposits that have not yet been developed.
Most of the ore reserves are located in the European part of the country. Here they are located in the Sverdlovsk, Arkhangelsk, Belgorod regions, in the Komi Republic. All these regions contain 70% of the country's total proven ore reserves.
Aluminum ores in Russia are still mined from old bauxite deposits. Such areas include the Radynskoye field in the Leningrad region. Also, due to a shortage of raw materials, Russia uses other aluminum ores, the deposits of which are of poorer quality mineral deposits. But they are still suitable for industrial purposes. Thus, in Russia, nepheline ores are mined in large quantities, which also make it possible to obtain aluminum.
Source: https://ssk2121.com/strany-lidery-po-dobyche-alyuminiya/
Top 10 countries for bauxite mining in the world and why its extraction is so expensive
Aluminum is an extremely light metal, but due to its characteristics, the raw material is used in many industries. It is used in aviation, shipbuilding, as well as the production of cars and ships. The use of aluminum became truly widespread during the Second World War.
To obtain the metal, bauxite is used, a resource whose extraction sources are found in 18 countries. As a rule, they are all characterized by a hot climate with sufficient moisture. In addition to bauxite itself, substitutes can also be used, but their use is less cost-effective. These include anorthosite, alunite, oil shale and other resources.
Top 10 countries for bauxite mining
The existence of metal deposits in the amount of about 30 billion tons has been proven. This amount of raw material for aluminum production should be enough for many centuries. Moreover, five countries have reserves of 70% of all bauxite.
Aluminum production requires a large amount of electricity. At the same time, bauxite is a transportable raw material, because it is mined in geographically remote countries. Consumers of the resource are developed countries with a huge energy base.
It is not for nothing that most industrial enterprises operate near hydroelectric power stations. This makes it possible to reduce the territorial accessibility between mines for aluminum production and factories for its production. Among the leaders in aluminum production is Australia, whose annual share of production is 75 million tons.
It is followed by China with 70 million, as well as Guinea with 50 million tons.
NCountryProduction in 2004 (million tons)Reserves at the end of 2004 (billion tons)Share in world production (%)| 1 | Australia | 56 | 4,4 | 35,90 |
| 2 | Brazil | 18,5 | 1,9 | 11,86 |
| 3 | Guinea | 15,5 | 7,4 | 9,94 |
| 4 | China | 15 | 0,7 | 9,62 |
| 5 | Jamaica | 13,5 | 2 | 8,65 |
| 6 | India | 10 | 0,77 | 6,41 |
| 7 | Venezuela | 5,5 | 0,32 | 3,53 |
| 8 | Russia | 5 | 0,2 | 3,21 |
| 9 | Suriname | 4,2 | 0,58 | 2,69 |
| 10 | Greece | 2,4 | 0,6 | 1,54 |
| 11 | Guyana | 1,7 | 0,7 | 1,09 |
| Other countries | 9 | 3,72 | 5,77 | |
| Total worldwide | 156 | 23 | 100,00 |
Description and properties of bauxite
What are the visual characteristics of metal? Bauxite, in simple terms, is aluminum ore. It contains aluminum hydroxide, as well as oxides of other metals (iron, silicon and others). Bauxite contains not only the usual components, but also alumina. Moreover, this element is present in the ore in a ratio of 40 to 60 percent. In any case, the natural material is unique.
Before talking about the future of bauxite, we should return to its origins. You could first hear about the material in 1855, when it was presented at an exhibition in France. Onlookers were presented with an unusual silver-colored stone. It was clearly different from other previously discovered rocks.
The weight of the rock is very small, but from a chemical point of view the material is highly durable. It was immediately dubbed “clay silver” because of its color and softness. We will talk about the main properties of the material. In this case, the raw material used to extract aluminum was called bauxite.
Not all rocks are suitable for making metal. Only those bauxites in which the percentage of aluminum chernozem reaches 40 percent or higher are suitable for it.
Therefore, deposits where the material is produced with particular ease quickly find owners and are profitable.
Visually, “aluminum” ore is similar to clay. But there is nothing in common between these materials, based on their characteristics. If clay dissolves in water, bauxite retains its proportions. The Russian Federation also has reserves of raw materials. The first deposit, located in the Urals, was called “Little Red Riding Hood”. Today it is difficult to imagine entire industries if aluminum had not been invented.
Source: https://pronedra.ru/top-10-stran-po-dobyche-boksita-v-mire-i-pochemu-ego-dobycha-tak-dorogo-obxoditsya-426935.html
Leading countries in aluminum production - Metals, equipment, instructions
Aluminum ore has gained the most popularity in modern industry. Aluminum is the most common metal of all metals existing on earth today. In addition, it holds third place in the ranking in terms of the number of deposits in the bowels of the Earth.
Also, aluminum is the lightest metal. Aluminum ore is a rock that serves as the material from which the metal is obtained.
Aluminum has certain chemical and physical properties that make it possible to adapt its use to completely different areas of human activity.
Thus, aluminum has found its wide application in such industries as mechanical engineering, automotive, construction, in the production of various containers and packaging, electrical equipment, and other consumer goods. Almost every household appliance used by humans every day contains aluminum in one quantity or another.
Aluminum mining
There are a huge number of minerals in which the presence of this metal was once discovered. Scientists have concluded that this metal can be extracted from more than 250 minerals.
However, it is not profitable to extract metal from absolutely all ores, therefore, among all the existing variety, there are the most valuable aluminum ores, from which the metal is obtained. These are: bauxite, nepheline, and alunite. Of all aluminum ores, the maximum aluminum content is found in bauxite.
They contain about 50% of aluminum oxides. As a rule, bauxite deposits are located directly on the earth's surface in sufficient quantities.
Bauxite is an opaque rock that is red or gray in color. The strongest bauxite samples on the mineralogical scale are rated at 6 points. They come in different densities from 2900 to 3500 kg/m3, which directly depends on the chemical composition.
Bauxite ores are distinguished by their complex chemical composition, which includes aluminum hydroxides, iron and silicon oxides, as well as from 40% to 60% of alumina, which is the main raw material for the production of aluminum. It is worth saying that the equatorial and tropical zones of the earth are the main areas that are famous for deposits of bauxite ore.
For the nucleation of bauxite, the participation of several components is necessary, including monohydrate alumina hydrate, boehmite, diaspore, as well as various iron hydroxide minerals along with iron oxide. The weathering of acidic, alkaline, and in some cases basic rocks, as well as the slow settling of alumina at the bottom of reservoirs, leads to the formation of bauxite ore.
From two tons of alumina, aluminum turns out to be half as much - 1 ton. And for two tons of alumina it is necessary to extract about 4.5 tons of bauxite. Aluminum can also be obtained from nephelines and alunites.
The former, depending on their grade, can contain from 22% to 25% alumina. While alunites are slightly inferior to bauxites, and consist of 40% aluminum oxide.
Aluminum ores of Russia
The Russian Federation is ranked 7th among all countries in the world in terms of the amount of aluminum ore mined. It is worth noting that this raw material is mined in colossal quantities on the territory of the Russian state.
However, the country is experiencing a significant shortage of this metal, and is not able to provide it in the volume necessary to absolutely supply the industry.
This is the priority reason why Russia has to purchase aluminum ores from other countries, as well as develop deposits with low quality mineral ores.
There are about 50 deposits in the state, the largest number of which are located in the European part of the state. However, Radynkskoye is the oldest aluminum ore deposit in Russia. Its location is the Leningrad region. It consists of bauxite, which since ancient times has been the main and irreplaceable material from which aluminum is subsequently produced.
Table 1. The largest bauxite deposits in Russia Name % Percentage of total reserves Degree of industrial development| AL2O3 | SiO2 | |||
| "Little Red Riding Hood" Severouralsk | 53.7 | 3.7 | 3.1 | In developing |
| Kalinskoye, Severouralsk | 56.0 | 2.6 | 3.6 | In developing |
| Cheremuzovskoye, Sverdlosk region | 54.2 | 4.0 | 11.0 | In developing |
| Novo-Kalinskoye, Severouralsk | 55.0 | 3.1 | 7.0 | In developing |
| Iksinskoe, st. Navolok | 53.5 | 17.4 | 11.4 | In developing |
| Vezhayu-Vorykvinskoye. Komi Republic | 49.2 | 0.1 | 11.3 | In preparation |
| Vislovskoye, Belgorod | 49.1 | 7.9 | 12.1 | In reserve |
Aluminum production in Russia
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the emergence of the aluminum industry took place in Russia. It was in 1932 that the first aluminum production plant appeared in Volkhov. And already on May 14 of the same year, the company managed to receive a batch of metal for the first time.
Every year, new aluminum ore deposits were developed on the territory of the state and new capacities were put into operation, which were significantly expanded during the Second World War.
The post-war period for the country was marked by the opening of new enterprises, the main activity of which was the production of manufactured goods, the main material for which was aluminum alloys. At the same time, the Pikalevsky alumina plant was put into operation.
Russia is famous for its variety of factories, thanks to which the country produces aluminum. Of these, UC Rusal is considered the largest, not only within the Russian state, but throughout the world. He managed to produce about 3.603 million tons of aluminum in 2015, and in 2012 the company reached 4.173 million tons of metal.
Source: https://spb-metalloobrabotka.com/strany-lidery-po-dobyche-alyuminiya/
Metallurgy. Notes on geography. Briefly - TeacherPRO
Metallurgy is a branch of heavy industry engaged in the extraction of ores, their enrichment, and the smelting of metals and their alloys. Peculiarities of the industry: material intensity, multi-stage production process, high environmental load.
It consists of two industries: ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy. About 90% of the metals used in production are ferrous, that is, iron and alloys obtained from it.
Ferrous metallurgy is a branch of heavy industry engaged in the extraction and production of ferrous metals and alloys, pipes and rolled products.
Factors for the location of ferrous metallurgy:
- raw materials - the industry gravitates towards deposits of coal and iron ore;
- energy - the industry is energy-intensive, therefore it focuses on the availability of sources of cheap electricity
- transport - gravitates towards the flow of raw materials necessary for production;
- consumer - focused on the consumer (process metallurgy).
Raw materials used by ferrous metallurgy:
- iron ore - main
- manganese and chromium ores
- alloying metals (cobalt, nickel);
- coking coal.
The world's proven reserves of iron ore are approximately 160 billion tons, containing about 80 billion tons of pure iron.
Countries with leading iron ore reserves:
- 1) Australia;
- 2) Brazil;
- 3) Russia;
- 4) China;
- 5) India.
Leading countries in iron ore production:
- China;
- Australia;
- Brazil;
- India;
- Russia.
The largest iron ore basins in the world :
- KMA (Russia);
- Krivorozhsky (Ukraine)
- Caracas (Brazil)
- Lorraine (France)
- Newfoundland (Canada)
- iron ore region of Lake Superior (USA);
- Kirunavara (Sweden).
Major exporters of iron ore :
- 1) Australia;
- 2) Brazil;
- 3) South Africa;
- 4) Canada;
- 5) India.
The global production of cast iron is 1183 million tons. leading countries in the production of cast iron :
- China;
- Japan;
- India;
- Russia;
- The Republic of Korea.
In 2016, the world produced 1,630 million tons of steel. Leading countries in steel production :
- 1) China;
- 2) Japan;
- 3) India;
- 4) USA;
- 5) Russia.
The main steel exporters :
The main importers of steel :
- USA
- Germany
- The Republic of Korea.
The three main world centers of ferrous metallurgy:
1) Asian - leading and fastest growing, rich in raw materials.
There is the oldest leader in the iron and steel industry - Japan and new emerging leaders - China, India, and the Republic of Korea. 2) European - the oldest metallurgical center in the world. The leaders of the region are Germany, France, Italy, Great Britain.
Due to the deteriorating environmental situation, it is actively switching to imported raw materials, so ferrous metallurgy plants are increasingly appearing in the area of port cities.
3) North American , the leader of the region is the USA; In recent years, the region has changed its international specialization: instead of large plants, small plants producing high-quality steel are being created here.
Non-ferrous metallurgy is a branch of heavy industry engaged in the extraction of ores and the production of non-ferrous metals and their alloys. In terms of production volumes, non-ferrous metallurgy is approximately 20 times inferior to ferrous metallurgy.
Factors for the location of non-ferrous metallurgy:
- raw materials;
- energy;
- water;
- consumer;
- ecological.
Non-ferrous metallurgy is characterized by the complexity of its use of raw materials. Many non-ferrous ores are polymetallic, meaning they contain multiple metals. For the purpose of their complete extraction (use) in non-ferrous metallurgy, production combination is effective.
Non-ferrous metals
- Heavy: Copper, Zinc, Tin, Nickel, Lead.
- Lightweight: Aluminum, Titanium, Magnesium.
- Precious: Gold, Platinum, Silver.
- Refractory: Tungsten, Molybdenum.
- Rare: Uranium, Vanadium.
Aluminum industry
The main raw material for aluminum production is bauxite. Their production is concentrated in a small number of countries, mainly in Australia and Oceania, Central and South America, and Asia.
Leading countries in primary aluminum smelting:
- 1) China;
- 2) Russia;
- 3) Canada;
- 4) India;
- 5) UAE.
Aluminum production stages:
- Extraction of raw materials.
- Alumina production.
- Smelting of primary aluminum.
- Production of rolled products.
- Obtaining secondary aluminum from scrap.
Leading countries in the production of secondary aluminum:
- 1) USA;
- 2) China;
- 3) Japan;
- 4) Germany;
- 5) Italy.
Leading countries in bauxite mining:
- 1) Australia;
- 2) China;
- 3) Brazil;
- 4) Guinea;
- 5) India.
Leading countries in alumina production:
- 1) China;
- 2) Australia;
- 3) Brazil;
- 4) Russia;
- 5) USA.
Alumina is a product of bauxite processing for subsequent aluminum smelting. Primary aluminum smelting is carried out by both developed and developing countries. At the same time, there is a tendency to transfer production to developing countries.
Copper industry
Approximately 17.9 million tons of copper ore are mined worldwide. Its main deposits are located in Eurasia (Russia, Kazakhstan), Northern and South America (Cordillera, Andes), Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia).
Leading countries in copper production:
- 1) Chile;
- 2) China;
- 3) Peru;
- 4) USA.
The Copper Belt is a natural region in Central Africa spanning southern Democratic Republic of Congo and northern Zambia. Known as a copper mining area. A similar, but much larger belt stretches along the Cordillera-Andes line from the USA to Peru.
Leading countries in copper smelting:
- 1) Chile;
- 2) China;
- 3) Peru;
- 4) USA;
- 5) DRC.
Zinc-lead industry
Formations of lead and zinc occur in nature together in lead-zinc ores. They are mainly concentrated in North America (USA, Canada), Australia, and Eurasia (Russia, China).
About 13.5 million zinc ores are mined in the world, of which 37% are mined in China. Peru, Australia, Canada, and the USA also have large production volumes. Leading countries in zinc smelting: China, Canada, Republic of Korea .
China, Australia and the USA lead in the production of lead ores , with 55% coming from China.
Leading countries in lead smelting: China; USA; Germany .
The Tin Belt is a vast tin mining area stretching from Chukotka to the Sunda Islands. It accounts for almost half of the world's metal production. The second, smaller tin belt stretches in the Andes across the territory of Bolivia, Peru and part of Brazil.
The main producers of tin in the world: Indonesia, China, Peru, Bolivia.
The largest gold deposits are concentrated in southern Africa (South Africa), Russia (Eastern Siberia, Yakutia, Far East), the USA (Alaska), as well as Canada, Australia and Indonesia. Leading countries in gold production:
- 1) China;
- 2) Australia;
- 3) Russia;
- 4) USA;
- 5) Canada.
The largest silver deposits are concentrated in Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Mexico, Australia, Canada, USA, Poland, and Russia. Leading countries in silver production:
- 1) Mexico;
- 2) Peru;
- 3) China;
- 4) Chile;
- 5) Australia.
The largest deposits of platinum are concentrated in South Africa, the USA, Russia, Zimbabwe, and China. Leading countries in platinum mining :
- SOUTH AFRICA;
- Russia;
- Zimbabwe;
- Canada;
- USA.
We looked at the summary of the geography lesson “Metallurgy”. Select next action:
Source: https://uchitel.pro/%D0%BC%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%BB%D1%83%D1%80%D0%B3%D0%B8 %D1%8F/
Export of aluminum from Russia – the undisputed leader in the world market
Only the lazy today do not talk about the oil and gas “needle” on which Russia reliably “sits”. To be fair, it should be said that the list of resources mined and processed here is limited not only to oil and gas, gold and diamonds. Russia produces coal, ore, copper and more than 200 types of minerals.
Today it is difficult to imagine that aluminum (Al), an important export commodity in demand throughout the world, was considered silver from clay just a century and a half ago and was therefore extremely expensive.
“Sooner or later, aluminum will replace wood, and maybe stone. But how rich it is! Aluminum and aluminum everywhere” (Nikolai Chernyshevsky, 1863).
And currently, in terms of consumption volumes, it ranks second among all metals in the world, second only to steel. And it seems that the leading position of this winged metal, as a key one, will only be strengthened thanks to the latest developments in the automotive industry, the rapid growth of cities, and new opportunities in the use of this valuable non-ferrous metal in the energy sector, as a replacement for copper.
World market
According to IAI, global aluminum production in 2017 was estimated at 63.385 million tons, which is 5.8% more than in 2016 (59.890 million tons).
IAI (International Aluminum Institute) is an international organization - an association of large aluminum producing companies.
The largest players in the market are Russia, the undisputed leader (4.2 million tons) and Canada (2.9).
According to UN Comtrade, the market share accounted for by Russia in 2016, which ranked first in the world in the supply of unalloyed raw aluminum, was 17%. Our closest competitors are Canada with a share of 15%, Australia (10%) and India (8%).
Countries purchase aluminum products of various stages of processing: both semi-finished and finished products, but Russia has so far established itself primarily as a leading exporter of unprocessed aluminum, while for many other types of products made from this winged metal with higher added value, we are not even in top ten.
Export from Russia
Even during the years of socialism in the Russian Federation, modern aluminum smelting plants were created. After the liquidation of the USSR, when the entire industry was falling apart before our eyes, aluminum rivers flowed from Russia abroad. The volumes of Russian supplies, which constitute the overwhelming majority of the most valuable non-ferrous metal produced in the country, grew rapidly. By the beginning of the new millennium, they had already exceeded 3 million tons per year.
Today, metallurgy is the second most important group of domestic export goods after oil and gas. Last year, non-ferrous metal exports, excluding precious metals, amounted to more than $37 billion. Of this, aluminum and products made from it accounted for $7.96 billion.
Tab. 1. Export from the Russian Federation, billion dollarsTotal
Including
aluminum and products made from it
share of aluminum in total exports, %
| 2013 | 526,0 | 7,01 | 1,3 |
| 2014 | 497,4 | 6,26 | 1,3 |
| 2015 | 343,5 | 6,87 | 2,0 |
| 2016 | 278,3 | 6,76 | 2,4 |
| 2017 | 356,9 | 7,96 | 2,2 |
Source: https://moneymakerfactory.ru/biznes-plan/eksport-alyuminiya-iz-rossii/
