Bauxite is primarily a metallic mineral though it is also used as an industrial mineral. It is the only ore used for large scale aluminium production.Much of the bauxite is formed by the desilication of clays. The alumina-rich components of igneous rocks weather to clay more easily than the mica and chlorite of the phyllites. Bauxite is a product of weathering. The name bauxite is derived from its first study area. It has been classified into laterite and terrarossa types. The laterite type bauxite is formed in situ from crystalline rocks and is rich in gibbsite. The terrarossa type bauxite overlies limestone of dolomite and is rich in bochmite. How do you identify bauxite Bauxite, on the Mohs scale, is usually a mild mineral with a hardness of just 1 to 3. With a pisolitic shape, earthy lustre and a low specific gravity of between 2.0 and 2.5, it is white to grey to reddish brown.
