ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES OF ALUMINIUM PROCESSING WASTE AND
SIMULTANEOUS UTILIZATION OF WASTE FOR SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
THENEPALLI THRIVENI AND JI WHAN AHN*
Mineral Resources Research Division, Korea Institute of Geosceinces and Mineral Resources(KIGAM),
124 Gwahagno, Yuseong gu, Daejeon, 305350, Korea.
The current advanced technologies for the manufacture of light weight metals processing significantly
increasing and attributes to the safety, performance, recyclability and economy. Still lack of technologies
developed for light weight metals processing waste utilization and application. Environmentally friendly
methods need to develop for better understanding the processing waste utilization. Alumina and aluminium
processing creates a wide range of waste products, the most significant being is red mud. Bauxite residue is
a high volume hazardous waste and nearly 3 billion tons have been dumped worldwide. Approximately,
120 Million tons/yr of red mud being produced without any environmental sustainable solution. Currently
the most significant technology is waste utilization. The bauxite residue is suitable for road base
construction, golf bunker sand, back fill and, general fill. Sustainable recycling technologies are necessary
for the bauxite residue utilization for the recovery of rare earth elements and cement materials. Carbonation
or CO2 sequestration of carbon dioxide is a method pioneered for the bauxite residue is modified to reduce
alkalinity. The carbonation of alkaline material is an inexpensive and safe process that leads to the
formation of thermodynamically stable products. The use of the carbonation can be an advantageous
solution for environmental climate change and sustainability problems in the new century.
Figure 1 – Global aluminum demand and global aluminum consumption (Millions tons per annum)
KEYWORDS
Light weight metals, Aluminium processing, bauxite residue waste, carbonation, sustainable solution