Research progress on desulfurization technology of high-sulfur bauxite

Abstract

Bauxite is the main raw material of the alumina industry. However, high-sulfur bauxite constitutes a relatively large proportion of bauxite resource in China. Excessive sulfur impurities in bauxite have significant impact on the Bayer process, such as corrosion of equipment and pipelines, increased consumption of alkali, and difficulties in sedimentation of red mud particles after digestion. As the mainstreams of bauxite desulfurization technologies, the bauxite pre-desulfurization (roasting, electrochemistry, biology, flotation, etc) and Bayer process desulfurization (oxidation and precipitation) need to be fully understood for the further improvement of desulfurization performance. Here, an in-depth review on their mechanisms and advantages/disadvantages is presented.