Chapter 2. Production and Processing of Aluminum
Bauxite occurs mainly in the tropics and in some Mediterranean countries. Today, the main mining locations are in Latin America, Australia, India, and Africa. Bauxite is a weathered rock containing two forms of hydrated aluminum oxide, either mostly a monohydrate AlO(OH) in caustic bauxite, or mostly a trihydrate Al(OH) 3 in lateric bauxite.