I-Aluminium: Yenziwa Kanjani

2024-08-05

I-Aluminium ingenye yezinsimbi ezisetshenziswa kakhulu emhlabeni namuhla, eyaziwa ngokukhanya kwayo okulula, ukumelana nokugqwala, kanye nokusebenza kwayo kahle kakhulu. Kodwa wake wazibuza ukuthi le nto eguquguqukayo ikhiqizwa kanjani?

Inqubo yokwenza i-aluminium iqala ngokukhipha i-ore ye-bauxite, okuwumthombo oyinhloko we-aluminium. I-Bauxite ngokuvamile iqukethe i-aluminium oxide (i-alumina) kanye nokungcola okuhlukahlukene.

Isinyathelo sokuqala ukucwenga i-bauxite ukuze kutholakale i-alumina emsulwa. Lokhu kufezwa ngenqubo yamakhemikhali eyinkimbinkimbi eyaziwa ngokuthi inqubo ye-Bayer. Kule nqubo, i-bauxite iphathwa nge-sodium hydroxide ngaphansi kokucindezela okuphezulu kanye nokushisa ukuze kuncibilikiswe i-alumina, kushiye ukungcola ngemuva.

Uma i-alumina emsulwa isitholiwe, isigaba esilandelayo inqubo ye-electrolysis. Lokhu kwenziwa kuseli elikhulu le-electrolytic elibizwa ngokuthi iseli le-Hall-Héroult. I-alumina encibilikisiwe iyancibilikiswa ebhavini le-cryolite encibilikisiwe, bese kudluliswa ugesi oqondile ngengxube. Ku-cathode, ama-ion e-aluminium athola ama-electron futhi abekwa njengahlanzekile. Insimbi ye-Aluminium, kuyilapho umoya-mpilo ukhishwa ku-anode.

I-aluminium encibilikisiwe ephumayo ikhishwa ngokucophelela bese ifakwa ezimeni nasezimeni ezahlukahlukene, njengezingcezu, ama-billet, noma ama-slab, kuye ngokuthi kusetshenzisweni ekugcineni okuhlosiwe.

Ukukhiqizwa kwe-aluminium kudinga amandla amaningi, futhi kwenziwa imizamo njalo yokuthuthukisa ukusebenza kahle kwenqubo nokunciphisa umthelela wayo emvelweni. Ubuchwepheshe obuthuthukisiwe kanye nemikhuba eqhubekayo kuyathuthukiswa ukuqinisekisa ukuhlinzekwa okuqhubekayo kwale nsimbi eyigugu ngenkathi kunciphisa ukuthinteka kwayo emvelweni.

Ekuphetheni, ukukhiqizwa kwe-aluminium kuyisenzo esiphawulekayo embonini yanamuhla, esihilela uchungechunge lwezinqubo eziyinkimbinkimbi nezilawulwa kakhulu zokuguqula izinto zokusetshenziswa zibe yinsimbi edlala indima ebalulekile ekusetshenzisweni okuningi emikhakheni eyahlukene.