Bauxite

Bauxite, ore consisting of hydrated aluminum oxide, usually with iron oxide; the main source of aluminum. It is a claylike, amorphous material formed by the weathering of silicate rocks, especially under tropical conditions. Bauxite is used as a lining for furnaces, and is an ingredient in some quick-setting cements. Leading bauxite-producing countries include Jamaica, Australia, the former USSR, Suriname, Guyana, France, and the United States.

See also: Aluminum.