cryolite
Smelting mineral flux
Cryolite is a rare mineral composed of sodium, aluminum, and fluorine, historically mined almost exclusively in Greenland.
Its primary industrial use was as a flux in the electrolytic process for extracting aluminum from bauxite ore, lowering the melting point and reducing energy costs.
Natural deposits are now largely exhausted, so synthetic cryolite is used instead.
Current-induced ionic separation
- aluminaOxide of a light metal
- bauxiteAluminum hydroxide ore
- fluxContinuous change or flow
- moltenLiquefied by extreme heat
bath · electrolyte · reduction · anode · cathode · dissolution · industrial · processing
Resembling frozen water
- translucentPermitting diffused light passage
- colorlessDevoid of pigmentation
- vitreousGlass-like in appearance
- refractiveBending light through media
Halogen-element compound
- trigonalThree-angled in form
- translucentPermitting diffused light passage
- colorlessDevoid of pigmentation
- cleavageTendency to split cleanly
luster · specific gravity · mineralogy · sodium · aluminum · fluorine · spar · vitreous
electrolysis
Current-induced ionic separation
molten · bath · electrolyte · reduction · anode · cathode · dissolution · industrial · processing · refining
icelike
Resembling frozen water
- translucentPermitting diffused light passage
- colorlessDevoid of pigmentation
- vitreousGlass-like in appearance
refractive · soluble · white · waxy · twinning · brittle · fluorescent
halide
Halogen-element compound
- trigonalThree-angled in form
- translucentPermitting diffused light passage
- colorlessDevoid of pigmentation
cleavage · luster · specific gravity · mineralogy · sodium · aluminum · fluorine · spar · vitreous · prismatic
extraction
Act of removing
historical · Danish · exhausted · natural · source · Arctic · fjord · coastal
crystal, monolith, fluoride, neolithic, lithic, cryogenics, cryostat, cryosphere, cryogenic