Extraction and applications of aluminum hydroxide from bauxite for commercial consumption

Bauxite ore was collected from Khyber Pakhtun Khawa (KPK), Pakistan for extraction of aluminum in the form of aluminum hydroxide. The ore consists of 31.11% aluminum and other minerals (SiO2, Fe2O3, Na2O, CaO) was leached with alkaline solution. The aluminum extraction in the form of aluminum hydroxide from the clear solution in filtrate was successfully done by different processes involving autoclave, centrifuge and solvent extraction while the red mud in the form of residue was separated and recycled. The recycling process of iron from red mud was divided into roasting magnetic recovery, the reducing smelting method for iron separation. After extraction the composition of Al, Fe, Si, and Ca were determined from aluminum hydroxide and red mud both by chemical and spectrophotometric analysis. The compound was further characterized by FT-IR and results showed that a considerable amount of aluminum in the form of aluminum hydroxide was extracted along with other minerals.