2019 – Posted in: Daily News – Tags: red sludge

RED MUD

For: Preliminary

Topics covered: Red Mud, Red Sludge, Utilisation, safe disposal, environmental issues

Government asks stakeholders to find a lasting solution for productive utilisation of red mud and its safe disposal for a cleaner future.

This is an environmental concern due to the presence of impurities such as caustic soda and other minerals.
Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research Development and Design Centre (JNARDDC) organised a ‘Red Mud Networking Meet’.
Its global generation is more than 150 million tonnes.
In India, it is around 9 million tonnes per year.

Red Mud is a solid waste generated during the aluminium production process.
It is a highly alkaline waste product composed mainly of iron oxide that is generated in the industrial production of alumina.
It is composed of a mixture of solid and metallic oxides.
The red colour arises from iron oxides, which comprise up to 60% of the mass.
The final red mud contains a residual level of caustic liquid (or alkalinity), with a pH of approximately 13.5.
In addition to iron, the other dominant components include silica, unleached residual alumina, and titanium oxide.
The main constituents of the residue after the extraction of the aluminium component are insoluble metallic oxides.
Discharge of red mud is hazardous environmentally because of its alkalinity.

It is a step towards productive utilisation of bauxite residue, commonly known as the ‘Red Mud’ under ‘Waste to Wealth’ project.

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