cryolite

American  

[krahy-uh-lahyt] / ˈkraɪ əˌlaɪt /

noun

1. a mineral, sodium aluminum fluoride, Na 3 AlF 6 , occurring in white masses, used as a flux in the electrolytic production of aluminum.

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cryolite British  

/ ˈkraɪəˌlaɪt /

noun

1. a white or colourless mineral consisting of a fluoride of sodium and aluminium in monoclinic crystalline form: used in the production of aluminium, glass, and enamel. Formula: Na 3 AlF 6

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Etymology

Origin of cryolite

First recorded in 1795–1805; cryo- + -lite

Example Sentences

A pivotal moment in that championship bout came when Shin’s opponent played “kyrolite,” which is not legal, instead of “kryolite,” an alternate spelling of the mineral cryolite.

From Washington Post • Aug. 1, 2022

The electrolysis of a solution of cryolite and calcium fluoride results in aluminum metal at the cathode, and oxygen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide at the anode.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

Heating the hydroxide produces aluminum oxide, Al2O3, which dissolves in a molten mixture of cryolite, Na3AlF6, and calcium fluoride, CaF2.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

A few were laden to the Plimsoll mark with cryolite from Greenland, fluorspar from Newfoundland, pitch and coke from the U.S.

From Time Magazine Archive

The discovery that the metal could be extracted cheaply from cryolite, a mineral with an aluminium base, obtained from Ivigtut, Greenland, led to a sparing use of the metal in the economic arts.

From Commercial Geography A Book for High Schools, Commercial Courses, and Business Colleges by Redway, Jacques W. (Jacques Wardlaw)