USES OF BAUXITE AND ALUMINUM
Bauxite, aluminum oxide, besides being the chief ore of aluminum, has an important use in the manufacture of artificial abrasives which are of wide application in all metal-fabricating industries. Bauxite is also the basis of an extensive chemical industry, being the crude material from which alum, aluminum sulphate, and several other chemicals used for water purification, dyeing, and tanning are made. A rapidly growing use for bauxite is in the manufacture of bauxite brick for furnace linings. The more essential uses of bauxite are for the manufacture of aluminum and abrasives, though it seems doubtful whether the utilization of bauxite for chemicals could be much restricted. The use of bauxite for refractories is relatively small. In 1917 nearly 65 per cent. of the domestic output of bauxite went into aluminum, nearly 13 per cent. was taken by manufactures of aluminum salts, 19 per cent. was consumed in the manufacture of bauxite abrasives, and 3 per cent. was used by makers of bauxite refractories.
The uses of aluminum are myriad, chief among them are in the manufacture of parts of internal-combustion engines, and the fabrication of industrial and household utensils.