Abstract:
Among the industrial wastes, the red mud, generated by the Bayer process in alumina refining, is one of the most challenging wastes in metallurgy, due to its caustic nature, combined with the vast quantities in which it is produced.
This work intends to show the possibilities of to achieve sustainable solutions for this concern, by means of applying the Industrial Ecology concept.
In this paper this approach is proposed as a case study that put together a hypothetical, but typical, alumina refinery a pellet plant and a direct reduction plant as the core of an industrial complex. In it, effluents of one plant are inputs to the other, leading to the total consumption of the red mud generated. The alumina plant is a conventional one and the pellet plant considers a circular enduration kiln.
Besides that, taking into account the decarbonization trend, the direct reduction plant considers the possibility of an all-hydrogen operation.
Complementarily some other selected side industries are included, and will constitute, together with the core plants, the proposed Industrial Ecology Complex.