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Clean dealkalization technology from aluminum industry hazardous tailings—red mud by displacement with Mg-based agent

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Abstract

Red mud is a kind of strong alkaline hazardous slag discharged from aluminum metallurgy industry. In this study, the water immersion with high temperature and high pressure was developed for the selective dealkalization from red mud by adding Mg-based additives. The removal efficiency of alkali could reach 92% by using 12% MgCl2 with 9 mL/g at 250 °C for 60 min. The MgCl2 was the most effective leaching reagent to promote the decomposion of cancrinite lattice. The new minerals bearing Mg, i.e., chlorite (Mg5Al2Si3O10(OH)8) and pyrope (Mg3Al2Si3O12) could be formed, which was in favor of transforming the structural alkali into the free alkali by the analysis and validation of XRD and SEM-EDS. The dealkalization process was mainly controlled by chemical reactions according to the analysis of unreacted shrinking core model (USCM) of leaching kinetics. The leaching kinetics equation of 1 − (1 − x)1/3 = 32.2 × exp[4582.6 / T] × t was built and the apparent activation energy of 38.1 kJ/mol was obtained. This method may provide a new and cleaner way for the efficient dealkalization of red mud and a basis for the utilization of leaching residue as the soil amendment.

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Funding

The research is financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51904097 and 51804103), the training program for young backbone teachers in Colleges and universities of Henan Province (2019GGJS056), Open Foundation of State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Mineral Metallurgical Resources Utilization and Pollution Control (HB202106), Scientific and Technological Project of Henan Province (202102310548), Program for Innovative Research Team in the University of Henan Province (21IRTSTHN006).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, 454000, Henan, China

    Wang Li, Tao Wang & Xiaobo Zhu

  2. State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Mineral Metallurgical Resources Utilization and Pollution Control, Wuhan University of Science and Technology Wuhan, Hubei, 430081, China

    Wang Li & Xiaobo Zhu

  3. Collaborative Innovation Center of Coal Work Safety and Clean High Efficiency Utilization, Jiaozuo, 454000, Henan, China

    Xiaobo Zhu

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  1. Wang Li
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  2. Tao Wang
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  3. Xiaobo Zhu
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Wang Li: methodology, software, writing; Tao Wang: data curation, writing—original draft preparation; Xiaobo Zhu: investigation, writing—reviewing and editing.

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Correspondence to Xiaobo Zhu.

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Li, W., Wang, T. & Zhu, X. Clean dealkalization technology from aluminum industry hazardous tailings—red mud by displacement with Mg-based agent. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 55957–55970 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-19754-2

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