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Alkali recovery from bauxite residue via ferric sulfate dealkalization and convert dealkalization residue into a secondary iron resource

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Abstract

The most effective means to promote the sustainability of the circular economy is to recycle waste from various sources, such as industry and commerce. This study aimed to investigate alkali recovery from bauxite residue and the potential of iron recovery from dealkalized bauxite residue via the ferric sulfate dealkalization method. Under constant solid–liquid ratio and temperature conditions, the optimal dealkalization rate reaches 99.17% whren bauxite residue, FeSO4, and H2O2 in a proportion of 2:3:2. After undergoing 4 dealkalization cycles,, the Na+concentration in the supernatant reached 1800 mg L−1, and the alkaline recovery rate increased to 90% with the addition of 5 g L−1 CaO. Compared to acid leaching, this dealkalization method demonstrated superior long-term effectiveness in regulating alkalinity. The formation of Fe(OH)3 facilitated cementation the bauxite residue particles and considerably improved filtration performance through adsorption, bridging, and cross-linking mechanisms. Furthermore, the iron content of the dealkalized BR increased from 46.97% to 76.24%, meeting the China Standard for production grade iron ores (V grade). Approximately 8 tons of bauxite residue were estimated to be consumed, resulting in the generation of 4.64 tons of CaSO4. Thus, this sustainable method offers complete reutilization of bauxite residue, contributing to waste minimization efforts.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all authors for their support of this research effort.

Funding

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 52060011).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, Yunnan, China

    Xin Xie, Xiangfen Cui, Jianhong Huang & Chen Li

  2. Yunnan Environmental Engineering Design and Research Center, Kunming, 650034, China

    Shan Chen

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10163_2023_1815_MOESM1_ESM.doc

Supplementary file1 (DOC 73 KB) Table S2 Comparison of BR comprehensive utilization and dealkalization method. Table S2 Explanation of abbreviations.

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Xie, X., Chen, S., Cui, X. et al. Alkali recovery from bauxite residue via ferric sulfate dealkalization and convert dealkalization residue into a secondary iron resource. J Mater Cycles Waste Manag 26, 213–221 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-023-01815-4

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