Comprehensive Utilization of Red Mud Remaining in Alumina Production

Abstract

Red mud is a solid waste which is generated in the process of alumina production and is of highly alkaline. Red mud has very complex compositions, but contains a variety of rare and valuable metals. In addition, its high alkalinity is a severe pollution to water, land, air and environment, which has been one of the main factors to affect the sustainable development of aluminum industry. The characterization of red mud, the extraction of valuable metals from red mud, the utilization of red mud in construction materials, environmental restoration materials and other fields are introduced in this paper.