Aluminate

/əˈluːmɪneɪt/ noun

Definition

A chemical salt formed when aluminum oxide (alumina) reacts with a strong base or alkali, commonly used in industrial processes.

Etymology

From alumin- (aluminum) plus the chemical suffix -ate (indicating a salt or compound), coined in 19th-century chemistry to name compounds formed through aluminization reactions.

Kelly Says

Sodium aluminate is used to purify drinking water by removing impurities—it's a clever example of how industrial chemistry developed practical applications from pure chemical research.

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