Jamaica bauxite or bauxite in Jamaica was first shipped in 1952. By 1957 Jamaica was the leading bauxite producer in the world. In 1961 there were four companies mining bauxite in Jamaica. The companies were Reynolds, Alcan, Kaiser and Alcoa. Jamaica was planning for their Independence from Great Britain on August 6, 1962 and the country was growing significantly and the economic outlook was positive.

 

 

In 1974 Jamaica bauxite was the second largest producer of bauxite and the second largest exporter of alumina in the world behind Australia. Over the next ten years, the island that was once the number one exporter of bauxite had fallen to about sixth place and shipping about 7% of the world bauxite production. The decreased in the production of bauxite in Jamaica were followed by job loss. Now Jamaica bauxite which was once the world largest bauxite producer started to loose it’s market to other countries. In addition to other countries producing more bauxite, the global prices for ore dropped. This was a direct hit to Jamaica’s economy and the people of Jamaica wonder out loud if those days would ever return.

 

 

Bauxite Jamaica 2015

 

 

In 1974 Jamaica bauxite was the second largest producer of bauxite and the second largest exporter of alumina in the world behind Australia.

At the end of 2014, Minister of Mining and Energy Phillip Paulwell announced the opening of Russian Mining Company UC RUSAL Alpart Jamaica. Once again, mining and exporting of monohydrate bauxite from St. Elizabeth is back in business. This move will lead to many jobs which the economy of Jamaica badly needs. The Alpart reserves bauxite extraction in South East St. Elizabeth started on March 23, 2015. UC RUSAL has invested roughly US$3 million dollars and the refinery is expected to reopen in December 2016.

Bauxite Definition

 

 

Bauxite is an aluminum ore and the main source of aluminum. Some define bauxite as “The principal ore of aluminum composed mainly of hydrous aluminum oxides and aluminum hydroxides.” or “A soft, whitish to reddish-brown rock consisting mainly of hydrous aluminum oxides and aluminum hydroxides.” Others define bauxite as “An impure mixture of earthy hydrous aluminum oxides and hydroxides that is the principal source of aluminum.” Because bauxite does not have a specific composition and it’s a mixture of hydrous aluminum oxides, clay minerals, aluminum hydroxides and goethite, the bauxite chemical formula used for aluminum production is: AI(OH)_{3 ,} AI₂ O₃

 

 

 Bayer Process

 

 

The Bayer Process is the main industrial way of refining bauxite to produce aluminum. Bauxite is the most important ore in aluminum but it has only thirty (30) to fifty-four (54) percent aluminum oxide. The remaining mixtures to produce aluminum are titanium dioxide, silica, and other iron oxides.

Bauxite Mining

Before reducing the particle size of bauxite, the bauxite is first washed and crushed to increase the surface area before the digestion stage. During the digestion stage, a hot solution is used to dissolve the aluminum minerals into the bauxite to form a sodium solution.

Aluminum Mining

 

 

Aluminum mining is a metal naturally found on the earth’s crust in the form of bauxite. Because bauxite is an ore which contains aluminum oxide or alumina, it must be washed and crush for surface mining.

Bauxite has always been around but geologists were not aware of its importance. Geologists were aware of the red dirt in Jamaica from back in 1869. However, it was after World War II that the need for Aluminum increased. Jamaica plant for bauxite Jamaica mining is ranked in the top six bauxite producing countries in the world.

 

 

In 1974 Jamaica bauxite was the second largest producer of bauxite and the second largest exporter of alumina in the world behind Australia.