Method of treatment of bauxite residue, solid obtained by this method and bauxite treatment process including this method of treatment of the bauxite residue

Abstract

A method of treatment of bauxite residue resulting from a Bayer process of bauxite treatment in order to produce a solid product. The method comprises mixing a quantity of the bauxite residue (1) with a quantity of a glass material (2) to form a mixture. Then, compressing the mixture (4) to form a green body, and sintering (5) the green body. After cooling, the sintered green body thereby provides the solid product.

1 . A method of treatment of bauxite residue resulting from a Bayer process of bauxite treatment in order to produce a solid product, the method comprising:
 mixing a quantity of the bauxite residue with a quantity of a glass material to form a mixture;   compressing the mixture to form a green body;   sintering the green body; and,   cooling the sintered green body thereby to produce the solid product.   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein said glass material comprises a soda-lime glass. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein said temperature of sintering is between about 800° C. and about 1400° C. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein said compressing comprises compressing said mixture under a compressive pressure of a least 10 MPa. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein said quantity of bauxite residue is between about 90% by weight and about 99.5% by weight of the resulting mixture and said quantity of glass material is between about 10% by weight and about 0.5% by weight of the resulting mixture, on a dry weight basis of the resulting mixture. 
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1  including forming an aqueous paste comprising said mixture, wherein said bauxite residue and said a quantity of glass material are substantially homogeneously mixed throughout said paste, and said compressing comprises compressing said aqueous paste. 
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising mixing a quantity of fines with said quantity of bauxite residue and said quantity of glass material thereby to form said mixture, wherein the fines are a result of crushing a said solid product. 
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 7  wherein said quantity of bauxite residue is between about 90% by weight and about 95% by weight of the resulting mixture and the quantity of glass material and fines comprised within the material making up the rest of the mixture, on a dry weight basis of the resulting mixture.