Aluminum oxide, Al 2 O 3, often called alumina, does not melt until over 3, 632 ° F (2, 000 ° C), and is used to line furnaces. Other forms of alumina are corundum and emery, which are very hard and are used as abrasives. ... The Bayer process for refining aluminum ore, developed in 1888 by an Austrian chemist, also contributed significantly ...Web