I-Aluminiyam: Yenziwa Njani

2024-08-05

I-aluminiyam yenye yezona zinyithi zisetyenziswa kakhulu kwihlabathi namhlanje, eyaziwa ngokuba lula kwayo, ukumelana nokugqwala, kunye nokusebenza kwayo kakuhle. Kodwa ngaba wakha wazibuza ukuba le nto isebenziseka lula yenziwa njani?

Inkqubo yokwenza i-aluminium iqala ngokukhupha i-bauxite ore, engumthombo oyintloko we-aluminium. I-Bauxite idla ngokuba ne-aluminium oxide (alumina) kunye nezinye izinto ezingcolisayo.

Inyathelo lokuqala kukucoca i-bauxite ukuze kufunyanwe i-alumina ecocekileyo. Oku kufezekiswa ngenkqubo yekhemikhali entsonkothileyo eyaziwa ngokuba yinkqubo yeBayer. Kule nkqubo, i-bauxite iphathwa nge-sodium hydroxide phantsi koxinzelelo oluphezulu kunye nobushushu ukuze inyibilikise i-alumina, ishiye ngasemva ukungcola.

Nje ukuba kufunyenwe i-alumina ecocekileyo, inqanaba elilandelayo yinkqubo ye-electrolysis. Oku kwenziwa kwiseli enkulu ye-electrolytic ebizwa ngokuba yi-Hall-Héroult cell. I-alumina enyibilikisiweyo iyanyibilika kwi-bath ye-cryolite enyibilikisiweyo, kwaye umbane othe ngqo udlula kumxube. Kwi-cathode, ii-ion ze-aluminium zifumana ii-electron kwaye zibekwe njengezinto ezicocekileyo. Isinyithi seAluminiyam, ngelixa ioksijini ikhutshwa kwi-anode.

Emva koko i-aluminium enyibilikisiweyo ikhutshwa ngononophelo ize iphoswe kwiimo ezahlukeneyo, ezinje ngee-ingots, ii-billets, okanye ii-slabs, kuxhomekeke kwindlela ekucetywayo ukuba isetyenziswe ngayo.

Ukuveliswa kwe-aluminium kufuna amandla amaninzi, kwaye kwenziwa imizamo rhoqo ukuphucula ukusebenza kakuhle kwenkqubo nokunciphisa impembelelo yayo kwindalo esingqongileyo. Ubuchwepheshe obuphambili kunye neendlela ezizinzileyo ziyaphuhliswa ukuqinisekisa ukubonelelwa okuqhubekayo kwesi sinyithi sixabisekileyo ngelixa sinciphisa umngcipheko waso kwindalo esingqongileyo.

Ukuqukumbela, ukuveliswa kwe-aluminium ngumsebenzi omangalisayo kushishino lwanamhlanje, oquka uthotho lweenkqubo ezintsonkothileyo nezilawulwa kakhulu zokuguqula izinto eziluhlaza zibe yintsimbi edlala indima ebalulekileyo kwizicelo ezininzi kumacandelo ahlukeneyo.