Bauxite is the main commercial mineral from which aluminium oxide is extracted, which in turn is smelted to form aluminium metal.
- Typically, a bauxite resource contains 30-60% alumina (Al2O3), and occurs as two main types: trihydrate (“low temperature”) bauxite and monohydrate (“high temperature”) bauxite
- The other main indicator of bauxite quality is the silica content, usually reactive silica for a low temperature bauxite or total silica for a high temperature bauxite
- Alumina that can be extracted during the Bayer Process is either monohydrate or trihydrate and both types can be found in the same bauxite
- Bel Air is predominantly a trihydrate bauxite which means it can be processed in both a high temperature and low temperature process