Early History of Aluminum Metallurgy

Prior to the mid-1880s aluminum was known as a metallic substance but was too costly to be used for other than jewelry-type applications. In 1886, Charles Hall in the United States and Paul Héroult in France discovered an economical electrolysis process for reducing aluminum from its abundant ore, alumina (Al2O3). This method, known today as the Hall–Héroult process, was a direct application of the then-new development of dynamos and principally of waterpower to generate huge amounts of electricity. Within a few years, aluminum was being produced at a low enough price that this metal played a growing role in everyday life. As a lustrous and lightweight metal, aluminum transformed human expectations for the appearance and uses of metals. This paper traces the stories of Hall and Héroult in their historic paths from concept to industrialization for refining aluminum metal. The essentials of the Hall–Héroult process remain fundamental in the aluminum industry today.