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Q.Why is cryolite ore used during the extraction of Al metal?
Bihar BsebBihar Board Intermediate 2024Subjective· 2mImportance★★★★★
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Cryolite lowers the melting point of alumina and raises the conductivity of the electrolytic bath, so aluminium can be extracted at a much lower and cheaper temperature.
Aluminium is extracted by the electrolysis of pure alumina (Al2O3). Pure Al2O3 melts at about 2050 °C, which is too high and uneconomical to maintain, and molten Al2O3 alone is a poor conductor.
To overcome this, alumina is dissolved in molten cryolite (Na3AlF6), often with some fluorspar (CaF2). This mixture:
- Lowers the fusion temperature of the bath to about 950 °C, saving large amounts of energy.
- Increases the electrical conductivity of the melt, allowing efficient electrolysis. …
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