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The industrial extraction of aluminium from bauxite involves three main stages.
1. Purification of bauxite by the Bayer process:
a) Digestion - powdered bauxite is treated with hot concentrated caustic soda. $$Al_2O_3 + 2\,NaOH + 3\,H_2O \rightarrow 2\,Na[Al(OH)_4]$$.
This directly supports Option C because $$Al_2O_3$$ really is dissolved in hot aqueous $$NaOH$$.
b) Precipitation - the clear sodium aluminate liquor obtained above is cooled and bubbled with $$CO_2$$. $$2\,Na[Al(OH)_4] + CO_2 \rightarrow Al_2O_3\!\cdot\!3H_2O \downarrow + 2\,NaHCO_3$$. This hydrated alumina is filtered, washed and ignited to get pure $$Al_2O_3$$. Thus Option B is also correct.
2. Electrolytic reduction by the Hall-Héroult process:
Pure $$Al_2O_3$$ has a very high melting point, so it is dissolved in molten cryolite $$Na_3AlF_6$$ (sometimes with $$CaF_2$$) to lower the melting point and increase conductivity.
Electrolysis is carried out in a carbon-lined steel cell. Molten aluminium is deposited at the cathode, while the carbon anode is oxidised, producing $$CO_2$$:
Cathode: $$Al^{3+} + 3e^- \rightarrow Al(l)$$
Anode: $$C(s) + 2\,O^{2-} \rightarrow CO_2(g) + 4e^-$$.
Hence Option D is correct.
3. Assessment of the remaining option:
Option A suggests directly reducing $$Al_2O_3$$ with coke above 2500 °C. Such a reaction is thermodynamically difficult because aluminium forms a highly stable oxide; coke cannot reduce it even at those temperatures. Therefore Option A is incorrect.
Therefore, the processes actually used in aluminium extraction correspond to:
Option B (neutralisation with $$CO_2$$), Option C (digestion in hot $$NaOH$$), and Option D (electrolysis of $$Al_2O_3$$ + $$Na_3AlF_6$$).
Final answer: Option B, Option C, Option D.
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