ABSTRACT

Bauxite residue is a kind of strong alkaline waste produced in the production of alumina. Its long-term storage

poses a potential threat to the environment. With the tightening of environment policies in various countries, the

strong alkalinity of bauxite residue has become a bottleneck restricting the sustainable development of aluminum

industry all over the world. This review covers the composition characteristics of bauxite residue, and describes

the Bayer process in detail, where emphasis is put on the formation of alkaline substances in bauxite residue and

its release process in long-term storage. This review focuses on several typical processes for the management of

bauxite residue alkalinity in recent decades around the world. The phase transformation mechanisms, merits and

limitations, as well as application status are discussed. The potential application values of these typical methods

are evaluated based on process characteristics. The large amount and varied characteristics of bauxite residue

determine that it is unrealistic to solve the dealkalization problem of all bauxite residue with one method. It is

recommended that the appropriate dealkalization process of bauxite residue should be selected according to the

characteristics of bauxite residue and regional resources, as well as the planning of subsequent application.

Keywords:

Bauxite residue (Red mud)

Alkalinity

Neutralization

Dealkalization

Remediation