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Q&As since 1989


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What is "boxite"? -- not certain of spelling

My name is Brenda Ola, of Ola Trucking Services, and my question is: "What is boxite?" I am under the impression that it is involved when aluminum ore is processed. I am not familiar with boxite, and would appreciate any details you can provide. "THANK YOU" for your assitance.

Brenda Ola
Ola Trucking Services - LaPlace, Louisiana
2005

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It's 'bauxite', Brenda.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2005

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Bauxite is the primary mineral used for the manufacture of aluminium. It is a mixture of compounds, comprising primarily of aluminium hydroxides along with aluminosilicates, silica, iron and titania. There are large deposits in the USA, Canada, West Indies, Russia and Africa.

Trevor Crichton
R&D practical scientist
Chesham, Bucks, UK
2005

Thank you...."bauxite." Okay, so it's a clay substance. Can you tell me if this substance is harmful to a person's health if working with this on a long term basis -- in particular, hauling bauxite in the dump trucks. And secondly, is this bauxite easily cleaned from the trucks? Know of what can be used to clean the bauxite off of the trucks? I really appreciate your expertise! Thanks.

Brenda Ola
Ola Trucking Svcs. - LaPlace, Louisiana
2005

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I am not a toxicologist, so caveat emptor. As far as I am aware, bauxite (and indeed alumina) is not associated with excessive and undue cases of fibronodular disease or pneumoconiosis. As with most things, if you are exposed to excessive levels of a dust at the right particle size (i.e., about 1micron or less)it may cause respiratory irritation and other problems, but I stress this would be due to the particle size and not the alumina. You could get the same effect from flour or any other fine powder. I would not expect it to be explosive (unlike flour!). As far as it being on trucks, I smell something funny here....Bauxite is not soluble in water, but it can probably be washed off a truck, or indeed anything else, if it is sprayed with a water jet. It may cake up and make a bit of a mess, but will be harmless. You will probably suffer more harm from the car and truck exhausts in your road than from any bauxite. If you have concerns about a bauxite processing facility in your area, I suggest you go the local environmental authorities and seek their guidance.

Trevor Crichton
R&D practical scientist
Chesham, Bucks, UK
2005

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First of two simultaneous responses --

Dear Trevor:

Thank You so much for the information about bauxite. I am curious as to why you "smell something funny" about bauxite being on trucks. There is a plant that is in need of dump trucks, and what they need to be hauled is bauxite. Being that we are unfamiliar with this substance, I was curious to know if it was harmful to people and/or the paint and finish on our trucks.

I'm simply trying to decide if we will accept the job or not -- can you please explain why you smell something funny? I can tell you that this is an aluminum plant, but I don't know any further details about the bauxite.

I would really appreciate your help and knowledge in this area. Have a nice weekend.

Brenda Ola
- LaPlace, Louisiana
2005

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Second of two simultaneous responses --

Trevor is right on with his answer. EPA and contracted universities have found out after 9-11 that fine particulate matter is a serious problem, (even sub micron) and it does not have to be asbestos. The tollerance of the human body to anything is a very wide range, so it depends. If you think that you have a problem, those 3M type celulose disposable particulate masks work fine and are not expensive.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
2005

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By smelling something funny I meant that there have been occasions described in the press and other organs of mass communication when an innoncent member of the public has heard something from someone about something to do with some sort of chemical that a local factory is supposed to use and that this (unspecified) chemical will do immeasurable harm to everyone in the area. This is the way that hearsay becomes local gospel and a lot of time and expense gets wasted by too many people chasing their tails for something that doesn't actually exist. Such fears and methods of generating mass hysteria have been (rightly or wrongly) fuelled by incidents such as Bhopal and Chernobyl.

I now surmise that you are thinking about tendering for the contract to haul the bauxite and that you are not certain what it is and what its hazards are. In the UK haulage companies must know the hazards of their payloads and it is the responsibility of the load supplier to accurately give all relevent information.

If this is the situation, I would suggest you ask the bauxite suppliers to provide you with all the safety information. As a general rule of thumb, this will ensure you comply with all relevent legislation and you do not incur the wrath of local health and environmental authorities. By having the supplier give you this information, your back should be at least partially covered from any possible litigation claims. It is safer to get the data "straight from the horses mouth" than to rely on the Internet, although if you have reason to disbelieve what a supplier says, you can then use a third party's opinion from the aether waves!

I hope this clarifies my comment.

Trevor Crichton
R&D practical scientist
Chesham, Bucks, UK
2005

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Trevor,

You should be bloody well paid for all that info you gave on Bauxite.

Excellent. You are a mine of information. Keep it up, I may need you to do it for me one of these days !

Freeman Newton [deceased]
(It is our sad duty to advise that Freeman passed away
April 21, 2012. R.I.P. old friend).
2005