Overview
Topic status: In progress
The digestion of bauxite in the production of alumina results in a highly caustic waste product commonly known as red mud. It is recent practice, in the alumina industry, to react red mud with seawater in order to reduce the causticity of the waste via the formation of hydrotalcite (Mg6Al2(OH)16CO3•xH2O).
A better understanding of hydrotalcite formation in the seawater neutralisation process is required to improve the material handling side of the process. Therefore, conditions of the neutralisation process need to be explored to determine the parameters required to increase the physical properties of hydrotalcite, which will reduce the amount of red mud required to settle hydrotalcite out. The empirical formula of Bayer derived hydrotalcite also needs to be determined to allow for the accurate prediction of the quantity of hydrotalcite that forms during neutralisation, and thus allows for better predictions of the physical properties of the resultant slurry.
Knowledge of the actual Mg:Al ratio of Bayer derived hydrotalcite will also improve the correlation between the prediction model and observed results. The full characterisation consisting of elemental and mineralogical phase analysis of each Bayer hydrotalcite will be required. Students working on this project will coordinate tests with Rio Tinto Alcan.
- Study level
- PhD, Masters, Honours
- Supervisors
- QUT
- Organisational unit
Science and Engineering Faculty
- Research area
- Keywords
- bauxite
- Contact
- Please contact supervisor for enquiries.
Dr Sara Couperthwaite
Professor Graeme Millar
Emeritus Professor Ray Frost
