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DF2014 Talk:Bauxite
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Aluminium refining doesn't require electrolysis
Current text says that electrolysis is absolutely required to refine aluminium from bauxite. This is not correct; it can be smelted carbothermically as with iron. The catch is that the temperatures required are much higher, typically about 2000 degrees Celsius, which in RL usually necessitates an electric arc furnace (and thus you're right back to needing electricity) as coal doesn't burn hot enough. So while it's correct to say that the dorfs don't have the requisite technology to refine aluminium from its ores*, it's not strictly a matter of "needs electrolysis".
*The exception would be if you used a tame dragon, as dragonfire is easily hot enough to smelt aluminium (you wouldn't even need coal at that kind of temperature). Smelting aluminium with dragonfire would be an interesting addition if Toady One implements it. Magic9mushroom (talk) 12:04, 19 August 2019 (UTC)