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Radiological assessment of the bauxite residue valorization chain

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Abstract

The behavior of radionuclides in the bauxite residue valorization chain has been analyzed, and accumulation ratios have been measured for secondary residues produced after recovery of valuable metals. Key analysis outcomes are valid specifically for the processes and raw materials in use at the Aluminium of Greece plant and are as follows: the processing of bauxite residue is unlikely to create secondary residues that would be hazardous from the radiological perspective, even if bauxite residue is processed successively multiple times to recover different metals. From a radiological perspective, there are no considerable limitations for the exploitation of specific BR for metal recovery. As some conclusions may be raw material or process dependent, future research could assess the possibility of applying these outcomes to other bauxite plants.

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Acknowledgements

The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community’s Horizon 2020 Programme (H2020/2014–2019) under Grant Agreement No. 636876 (MSCA-ETN REDMUD). This publication reflects only the authors’ view, exempting the Community from any liability. Project website: http://www.etn.redmud.org. The authors are grateful to B. Xakalashe, B. Friedrich, C. Bonomi, D. Panias, A. Dilipaltos, C. Cardenia, I. Paspaliaris, R. M. Rivera, T. Van Gerven, and P. T. Wai for providing residue samples and support in this work.

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  1. Institute of Physics, University of Tartu, W. Ostwaldi 1, 50411, Tartu, Estonia

    Andrei Goronovski & Alan H. Tkaczyk

  2. Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, 50411, Tartu, Estonia

    Alan H. Tkaczyk

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  1. Andrei Goronovski
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  2. Alan H. Tkaczyk
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Correspondence to Andrei Goronovski.

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Goronovski, A., Tkaczyk, A.H. Radiological assessment of the bauxite residue valorization chain. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 321, 955–963 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-019-06676-6

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