Rerview of bayer red mud characteristics and global research progress in red mud treatment, directions for Vietnam's bauxite industry

Abstract

   Red mud is a solid waste generated during the production of alumina by the Bayer method (Bayer red mud). Due to the large amount of emissions and high alkalinity, most of the red mud is currently stored in dams, occupying a large amount of land resources and causing a great safety hazard to the ecological environment. In addition, red mud also contains valuable metal elements, such as titanium, iron, scandium, aluminum, etc., and this is an important secondary mineral resource. Currently, there are many research projects using red mud for different purposes; however, these studies are still individual in nature and have not comprehensively treated red mud. This article focuses on the characteristics of Bayer red mud and the history of red mud treatment research in the world, analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of each process to have the most general view of comprehensive red mud treatment technology and forecast to the prospect of suitable treatment technology for red mud in Vietnam in the future