Investigation on Properties and Heavy Metal Ion Extraction of Thermally Activated Red Mud Incorporated Cement Mortar

Abstract

The manufacturing process of aluminum results in a toxic and highly alkaline by-product, red mud. The chemical composition of red mud varies based on the applied conditions during the production of aluminum. However, hematite (α-Fe 2 O 3 ), goethite (α-FeOOH), boehmite (γ-AlO(OH)), and quartz (SiO 2 ) are the major compounds and calcite (CaCO 3 ) and gibbsite (Al(OH) 3 ) are the minor compounds that constitute in the raw red mud. The characteristic studies conclude that red mud reacting with water molecules releases OHions contributing to high pH. With suitable treatment methods, red mud can be converted into cementitious material and used in the construction industry [1]. As per the studies, red mud calcined