Energy requirements for extraction

Aluminum is second to iron in terms of production and consumption and is the most important metal of commerce in the United States. As the resources of other metals are depleted further, the relative position of aluminum will increase. Aluminum can be extracted from many resources. Even though such extraction may be more expensive than from bauxite, it will still be economically feasible. The increased cost of extraction will be offset substantially by increased recycling of aluminum, which saves 95% of the energy required for extraction, and by any new smelting processes that require less energy. 

TABLE 8 Percentage of Metals in Ore/Concentrates and the Water/Energy Required for Extraction (After U.S. Geological Survey, Ref. [14], 2000)... 

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