![[Pasted image 20210718121404.png]] White powder and Sand like material Alumina is the common name given to aluminum oxide (Al2O3). Alumina is produced from bauxite, an ore that is mined from topsoil in various tropical and subtropical regions. [[Bayer Process]], discovered in 1887, is the primary process by which alumina is extracted from bauxite. ##### Alumina Uses - Alumina is used for key industrial purposes other than producing aluminum. - Filler for plastics - Abrasive and less expensive substitute for industrial diamond - Used in refineries on a large scale to convert dangerous hydrogen sulphide waste gases into elemental sulphur - The production of spark plug insulators and metallic paint, and its use as a fuel component for solid rocket boosters. - Alumina is used as a**tunnel barrier for fabrication of superconducting devices such as quantum interference devices and electron transistors**. - The oxide is also used as a **dosimeter for [[Radiation]] protection**. > Naturally occuring Alumina is referred to as corundum. In special circumstances, it forms into sapphire and ruby gemstones. These can be synthetically produced too.