Bauxite is the most common ore of aluminium. Extraction of aluminium metal takes place in three main stages: mining of bauxite ore, refining the ore to recover alumina, and smelting alumina to produce aluminium. Other raw materials are mined as aluminium ore, but their use is minor compared with bauxite.
Tens of millions of metric tons of bauxite are mined each year. The leaders in bauxite production include Australia, China, Brazil, India and Guinea.
Bauxite is used as the main raw material for alumina making, which in turn is utilised for aluminium manufacturing. More than 90 percent of the world production of bauxite is consumed in the aluminium industry