Topic summary
Smelted
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Smelting.
Aluminium
Aluminium cannot be smelted like most other metals, such as copper or iron, because aluminium forms a very stable compound with oxygen, and the oxide has a melting point of about 2,072°C (3,762°F). Aluminium is more reactive than carbon, therefore carbon cannot smelt aluminum. Aluminium is smelted by electrolytic reduction of aluminium oxide dissolved in molten cryolite. Plants for the electrolytic reduction of aluminium are referred to as aluminium smelters.