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What does cryolite do in extraction of alumina?
Is this correct ‘Cryolite lowers the melting point of aluminium oxide to 980o C. Cryolites lower the melting point and raise the boiling point, so the reduction of the melting point allows aluminium to melt at lower temperatures.’.....this is the answer given here...anyone to object?

Elena Mary , 6 Years ago
Grade 12th pass
anser 1 Answers
Rajdeep

Last Activity: 6 Years ago

HELLLO THERE!
 
Obtaining Aluminium by electrolysis of fused alumina in olden days were impossible and hence aluminium was a very rare metal. That’s because alumina has a high melting point (2050oC), which was very difficult to attain. Moreover, the boiling point of aluminium is less than this, so even if by some means alumina is molten at the above temperature, the aluminium hence formed would evaporate and it would be impossible to collect it.
 
So, as a fixture, we use Cryolite and Fluorspar. Each of these has it’s own purpose:
 
Cryolite:
=> It lowers the melting point of alumina to 980oC (but has no effect on the boiling point of aluminium. Boiling point of aluminium is 1500oC, which is above 980oC, so at this temperature, it is possible to obtain solid aluminium).
 
=> It increases the conductivity of alumina, since pure alumina is almost a non-conductor.
 
Fluorspar:
=> It acts as a solvent.
=> It also helps in increasing the conductivity.
 
 
Hope you’ve got your answer...
Thanks!

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