Processing of red mud: myth or reality?

28.10.2013 — Analysis

Krasnoyarsk scientists have proposed that UC RUSAL transfer to them the aluminium production waste accumulated in the Sverdlovsk region.

Siberians are ready to build furnaces and recycle the red mud remaining after the processing of bauxite. The new technology, they argue, will produce cheap iron, rare earth metals and silica foam, which enjoys popularity in Europe throughout various industries. The project was supported by the Sverdlovsk authorities during a meeting of all parties concerned in Kamensk-Uralsky, but the Chairman of the Regional Government, Denis Pasler, believes that it would be difficult to implement due to high inflation and the specific business environment in Russia. 

UC RUSAL created about 14 million tons of waste each year until recently, of which more than 2 million accounted for production of the Bogoslovsky and Uralsky aluminium plants located in the Sverdlovsk region. Red mud containing 30% aluminium and 50% iron not only is advantageous for environmentalists, but also businessmen, too. The necessity of recycling stockpiles has been talked about for a while now, but nothing has ever really come of this: scientists can not yet offer the technology for comprehensive waste management, since extracting individual elements is not profitable.

The methods on offer in terms of the disposal of red mud vary significantly: both magnetic separation as well as desalinization have their flaws - leaving behind a new type of waste. The head of the department of Krasnoyarsk Scientific Centre, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vyacheslav Pavlov, told Denis Pasler that the team of scientists headed by academician Vasilii Shabanov had developed a waste-free technology for the recycling of red mud.

Those in Krasnoyarsk are offering to melt the furnace mixture in electric arc furnaces, separating the melt mixture to metal and silicate portions. Concerning the latter, it is possible to produce a variety of products: special steel, aluminium and bronze alloys, rare earth metals, silica foam (polystyrene analog) with the given properties of wollastonite, which in turn can be used for ceramics, insulation boards, luminous paint, etc..

Businessman Konstantin Demeshonok (trustee of the Krasnoyarsk Scientific Centre) argues that two tons of furnace mixture can turn into 400KG of low carbon iron costing 1,700 roubles per ton. Two furnaces can process one million tons of red mud in a year. Implementation of the project, including the burning of municipal solid waste and the production of heat-insulating materials, will mean employment for approximately 1,000 people. Krasnoyarsk officials expect that the investment in the first stage will not exceed $ 10 million.

UC RUSAL managers, who appeared at the presentation of the new technology, reported, that the cost per ton of cast iron shall not amount to 1,700 roubles: even electric energy needed to run an electric arc furnace will cost more. Moreover it is only a pilot production - the costs for organization of industrial production will increase at least 20 fold. With the current cost of electricity, says Managing Director of UAZ-SUAL, Evgeny Zhukov, producing iron in the Urals is unprofitable.

K. Demeshonok informed the representatives of UC RUSAL, that upon utilization of the furnace mixture about 60 megawatts of electricity will be generated, which is enough for an electric arc furnace and rolling mill. Accordingly, with a complete production cycleyou will not have to buy electricity on the market. The entrepreneur is confident of the project's profitability, although he acknowledged that the calculations are very preliminary in nature: the issue with raw materials is not yet resolved and the location of future production is not determined, carrying out a techno-economical feasibility study is pointless.

E. Zhukov, however, continued to insist on the lack of prospects of the project. There is already an Italian pilot plant being implemented in the branch of UAZ-SUAL, which enables the production of tens of thousands of tons of raw materials for the steel industry. The project costing $2.5 million makes no headway because there is nowhere to dispose of the received additives: metallurgy is dwelling in deep crisis. Recycling the red mud, says the head of the branch, is only possible in countries such as China, that consumes everything it produces. In Russia, the metals market is very small, and the market of silicate products is lacking. Therefore, UC RUSAL is ready to dive into the raw materials market with confidence, but what will the scientists do with such an issue?

Minister D. Pasler was cautious with the conclusions. According to him, the silica market in Russia has a great future, but the problem is that you need to start earning and developing straight away. In contrast, from the managers of UC RUSAL, the Chairman of the Regional Government believes that the market is ready to consume hundreds of thousands of tons of cast iron, the only question is, at what price. You cannot be mistaken with the cost of production, the output of which is possible only three years after the start of the project. Much could change during this time in Russia and around the world, and it may not be possible to recuperate costs in the case. And it is obvious that today Krasnoyarsk scientists do not see the project in such light. There are several tests "in vitro" produced under laboratory conditions. However, this level had already been reached in the late 90s. And a further degree of maturity in the project in any form of structured discussion is yet to be conceived..

"You have to reduce your volumes. The recycle of any wastes results in future prospects. The most important thing is technology and cost. It is possible to enter into an agreement to transfer the required volume of waste with RUSAL. We are ready to go forward with this. In that case, if there is such a project that would address all of the environmental and financial issues, the regional authorities would contribute to promoting the project "- said Denis Pasler.

Vladimir Terletskiy