Electrolytic Iron Production from Alkaline Bauxite Residue Slurries at Low Temperatures

Abstract

Primary iron metallurgy is characterised by significant direct carbon dioxide emissions, due to the carbothermic reduction of the iron ore. This paper deals with the electrification of primary iron production by developing a new and innovative process for the carbon-free production of metallic iron from bauxite residue which is a byproduct of the alumina industry. It is based on the electroreduction of iron oxides from bauxite residue suspensions in concentrated sodium hydroxide solutions, at low temperature and normal pressure. The iron oxide source used in the present study is bauxite residue provided by MYTILINEOS SA, Metallurgy Business Unit-Aluminium of Greece. The research study is a preliminary screening of bauxite residue as a potential raw material for iron production by performing experiments in a small-scale electrolysis cell. The first results presented here show that iron can be produced by the reduction of iron oxides in bauxite residue with high Faradaic efficiency (>70%). Although significant optimisation is needed, the novel process shows great promise.