21 - Sustainable cementitious binders containing high-volume red mud

Abstract

The management and disposal of red mud, solid waste generated from the Bayer processes during the production of alumina metal from the bauxite ore, are facing substantial environmental challenges due to the continuous growth of the aluminum industry globally. The valorization of red mud as an alternative raw material to produce sustainable building materials is one of the most efficient ways to consume and reduce the stockpiled red mud, reducing the environmental toxicity of direct landfill disposal. This chapter provides a systematic review of the physical and chemical properties of red mud solid waste from different sources, and their applications such as supplementary cementitious materials (cement replacement), alternative raw materials for cement clinkerization, and fabrication of geopolymer binders are reviewed in this chapter. The existing research suggests that (1) both blended cement and geopolymers are the feasible route to achieve high-volume red mud utilization; (2) red mud geopolymers blended with other reactive aluminosilicates can achieve reasonably high strength performances with up to 50% red mud; and (3) the durability performances of cementitious binders containing red mud will need to be better understand to the future application of these sustainable materials.