These crystals are baked in a rotary kiln at over 1,000°C [1, 6].
This is a story of transformation—how a crumbly red rock from the earth becomes the sleek, silver metal in your soda can or smartphone. Act I: The Earth’s Rusty Treasure How Aluminium is made animation
A giant "vacuum" ladle siphons the liquid silver from the bottom of the pot [1]. It is whisked away to a furnace where it's purified and mixed with other metals to make it stronger [1, 6]. Finally, it is poured into molds to create massive blocks called , or rolled into thin sheets [1, 6]. These crystals are baked in a rotary kiln
This is the most dramatic part of the animation. Alumina is very stable; you can’t just melt it with fire to get the metal out. You have to "shock" it [1, 6]. It is whisked away to a furnace where