Thanks to Perdant on T$ from where i got this from.Bear in mind...

Thanks to Perdant on T$ from where i got this from.Bear in mind some prices may have changed since it was written.

Aluminium
Commodity Symbol - Al, specific gravity of 2.58 and melting point of 658 degrees C.

Price US$1500/tonne [Bauxite - US$20/t, Alumina - US$180/t].

Geology Not found as a native metal although it constitutes 8% of the earth’s crust. Aluminium is associated with clay materials and some silicates. Major source is bauxite [hydrated oxides] generally found in tropical regions.

Location Major deposits of bauxite located at Weipa in Queensland, Gove in the Northern Territory and in the Darling Ranges of Western Australia.

Average Grades Economic mine grades of bauxite have aluminium content of 25 to 35%.

Capital and Mining Costs Bauxite mining operations are low cost open cut operations with long term contracts to supply dedicated alumina refineries. As discussed below the alumina refinery’s major cost is the consumption of caustic soda, while for the aluminium smelter the greatest cost is the supply of electricity.

Metallurgy
Step 1. Refining - ground bauxite ore (to less than 7 mm) is digested in aqueous caustic soda. The pregnant liquor is cooled and the alumina (Al2O3) is precipitated out and then calcined to anhydrous alumina.
Step 2. Smelting - electrolysis using carbon anodes is used to refine the alumina to aluminium. Approximately 16 kWh/kg of aluminium production is required. 2Al2O3 + 3C = 4Al + 3CO2

Pricing Bauxite Bonus/penalty systems with regard to price are determined by the content of alumina and silica. The higher the level of silica the greater the amount of caustic soda lost in the recovery of alumina (1t of silica reacts with 0.8t of caustic soda). Typical proportions for Australian bauxite are: Al2O3 - 55%, Si02 - 4%, Fe2O3 - 12%, TiO2 - 3%, loss on ignition - 26%. Australia accounts for some 40% of the world’s production of bauxite estimated at 110 million tonnes per annum. Pricing is generally set at long term contracts and is not made public. However, an indicative price for premium grade would be around US$20 per tonne. Caustic soda prices are highly variable with current prices to Australian producers around US$120 per dry metric tonne.

Alumina is generally sold under medium term contracts with some small amounts sold on the spot market. Prices are not generally published. Contract prices are set at around 12 to 13% of the aluminium price, while spot prices currently trade at a premium up to around US$200 per tonne.