Natural evolution of alkaline characteristics in bauxite residue

Kong, Xiangfeng; Guo, Ying; Xue, Shengguo; Hartley, William; Wu, Chuan; Ye, Yuzhen; Cheng, Qingyu

doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.12.125

Cited by 124 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…Similarly, Courtney et al (2013) found that the bauxite tailings remained strongly alkaline and saline over a long-term storage period without amendments. However, Kong et al (2017) found that the alkalinity and salinity decreased during the long-term natural aging (5-20 years). These differences may because of mineralogical and geochemical differences and local climatic conditions (such as temperature and water supply).…”

Section: Slow Changes Of Physico-chemical Characteristics In the Tailmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geochemical and mineralogical constraints in iron ore tailings limit soil formation for direct phytostabilization

Liu

Southam

et al. 2019

Science of The Total Environment

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The present study aimed to characterize key physico-chemical and mineralogical attributes of magnetite iron (Fe) ore tailings to identify potential constraints limiting in situ soil formation and direct phytostabilization. Tailings of different age, together with undisturbed local native soils, were sampled from a magnetite mine in Western Australia. Tailings were extremely alkaline (pH> 9.0), with a lack of water stable aggregate and organic matter, and contained abundant primary minerals including mica (e.g., biotite), with low specific surface area (N-BET around 1.2 m g). These conditions remained relatively unchanged after four years' aging under field conditions. Chemical extraction and spectroscopic analysis [e.g., X-ray diffraction (XRD) and synchrotron-based Fe K edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (XAFS) analysis] revealed that the aging process decreased biotite-like minerals, but increased hematite and magnetite in the tailings. However, the aged tailings lacked goethite, a compound abundant in natural soils. Examination using backscattered-scanning electron microscope - energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (BSE-SEM-EDS) revealed that aged tailings contained discrete sharp edged Fe-bearing minerals that did not physically integrate with other minerals (e.g., Si/Al bearing minerals). In contrast, Fe minerals in native soils appeared randomly distributed and closely amassed with Si/Al rich phyllosilicates, with highly eroded edges. The lack of labile organic matter and the persistence of alkaline-saline conditions may have significantly hindered the bioweathering of Fe-minerals and the biogenic formation of secondary Fe-minerals in tailings. However, there is signature that a native pioneer plant, Maireana brevifolia can facilitate the bioweathering of Fe-bearing minerals in tailings. We propose that eco-engineering inputs like organic carbon accumulation, together with the introduction of functional microbes and pioneer plants, should be adopted to accelerate bioweathering of Fe-bearing minerals as a priority for initiating in situ soil formation in the Fe ore tailings.

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Section: Slow Changes Of Physico-chemical Characteristics In the Tailmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geochemical and mineralogical constraints in iron ore tailings limit soil formation for direct phytostabilization

Liu

Southam

et al. 2019

Science of The Total Environment

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“…Following natural processes, sodalite, hydrogarnet, and calcite decreased, as did pH. Reduction of pH resulted in the precipitation of Ca(OH) 2 but also leaching of NaOH by exchange reactions as the charged colloid (such as Al(OH) 6 3− ) was a regulator for cation exchange (Kong, Guo, et al, ). As a result, ESP decreased.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…WDC, which was used to estimate microaggregate instability, ranged ) was a regulator for cation exchange (Kong, Guo, et al, 2017). As a result, ESP decreased.…”

Section: Microaggregate Stability Of the Residuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Residues from mineral ore processing are disposed on land in large residue disposal areas, which may eventually create a series of ecological and environmental issues (Smart, Callery, & Courtney, ; Wu et al, ; Xue et al, ). In the aluminium industry, bauxite residue is an alkaline solid by‐product generated when alumina is extracted from bauxite ore by the Bayer process (Goloran, Phillips, & Chen, ; Kong, Guo et al, ). The global inventory has reached 3.4 billion tons, with an annual increase of 120 million tons (Kong, Li et al, ; Xue, Kong, et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Influence of natural regeneration on fractal features of residue microaggregates in bauxite residue disposal areas

Zhu

Cheng

et al. 2017

Land Degrad Dev

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Bauxite residue is often physically degraded, which limits vegetation establishment on the disposal areas. Microaggregate stability is an important physical property due to its significant effect on erosion and surface runoff; however, this is rarely reported for bauxite residue. Native plant encroachment on a bauxite residue disposal area in Central China has revealed that natural regeneration may ameliorate the residue and help to support plant growth. Residue samples from 5 different disposal ages were collected to determine microaggregate stability and to identify their fractal features. Following natural regeneration, the aggregate fraction 250-50 μm increased significantly from 27.4% to 40.3%, whilst the silt + clay size aggregate fraction decreased from 58.4% to 30.7%. With increasing disposal age, the residue clay dispersion ratio (CDR) ranged from 7.7% to 22.5%, whilst aggregated silt and clay ranged from 15.3% to 19.0%, Residues from mineral ore processing are disposed on land in large residue disposal areas, which may eventually create a series of ecological and environmental issues (Smart, Callery, & Courtney, 2016;Wu et al., 2016;Xue et al., 2017). In the aluminium industry, bauxite residue is an alkaline solid by-product generated when alumina is extracted from bauxite ore by the Bayer process (Goloran, Phillips, & Chen, 2016;Kong, Guo et al., 2017). The global inventory has reached 3.4 billion tons, with an annual increase of 120 million tons (Kong, Li et al., 2017;Xue, Kong, et al., 2016a). Large volumes of bauxite residue are deposited in bauxite residue disposal areas, which cause potential environmental risks, as these bare areas are sensitive to erosion by wind and water, and can be regarded as a potential source of contamination due to their high alkalinity and salinity (Gelencsér et al., 2011;Ruyters et al., 2011). In situ rehabilitation and revegetation may, however, stabilize the residue surface and minimize wind erosion (Courtney, Jordan, & Harrington, 2009;Kaur, Phillips, & Fey, 2016;Schmalenberger, O Sullivan, Gahan, Cotter, & Courtney, 2013). Its poor physical structure is nevertheless a major limitation to support plant growth (Liu, Naidu, & Ming, 2013;Zhu, Huang, Xue, William, Li, Zou, 2016a With the development of soil fractal theory, the limitation of single-fractal dimension has been stressed to describe soil particle size distribution. In order to obtain more detailed information of soil structure, multifractal theory was introduced to soil science (Li, Liu, & Jiang, 2016). Rodríguez-Lado and Lado (2016) found that particle size distribution behaved as multifractals, with scaling properties varying in different soil samples, whilst values of fractal dimension may be related to the degree of evolution of the soils. Peng et al. (2014) found that the single-fractal and multifractal parameters could describe soil particle size distribution and the influences of soil structure effectively. inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (Jones et al., 2011). Exchan...

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“…Rehabilitation is critical to stabilize the mined and mine waste land, to reduce long‐term environmental pollution, and to minimize ecological impacts (Goloran et al, ; Wong, ). This is particularly the case for bauxite processing residue (bauxite residue or red mud, a high alkaline solid waste) from alumina extraction (Gelencser et al, ; Kong, Guo, et al, ; Mayes et al, ), which can produce approximately 0.5–2 tons of residue generated per ton of alumina product (Evans, ; Grafe, Power, & Klauber, ). Currently, the accumulative inventory of bauxite residue has reached over 4 billion tons and is still increasing rapidly (Kinnarinen, Holliday, & Häkkinen, ; Liu & Naidu, ; Ye et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of alkaline electrochemical characteristics demonstrates soil formation in bauxite residue undergoing natural rehabilitation

et al. 2017

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Mining and mineral processing industries have generated a large amount of polymineral wastes, causing the destruction and degradation of huge areas of landscapes at extensive geographical locations. Rehabilitation of these mine waste landscapes is critical to social and economic sustainability of mining and metallurgy operations, such as alumina refineries. The Bayer process to refine alumina generates large amounts of highly alkaline bauxite residues that are hazardous to plant growth. Innovative methodologies are urgently needed to address this economic and environmental challenges, one of which is soil formation from bauxite residues. Mineral weathering appears the prerequisite to the initiation of soil formation and development of functional soil properties in bauxite residue disposal areas. The present study investigated natural changes of mineralogy, zeta potential, isoelectric point, surface protonation, active alkaline groups, and associated implications for rehabilitation of the bauxite residue disposal area. Alkaline calcite, hydrogarnet, and sodalite minerals were slowly transformed or dissolved with declining levels over weathering time. Amorphous and semiamorphous minerals also decreased with a corresponding decrease in specific surface area and sorption sites. Zeta potential curve of fresh residue had steeper slope than those of aged residues. The isoelectric point of fresh residue was significantly higher, but those of aged residues were significantly lower, with a significant decrease of isoelectric point with increasing time. These attributes in mineralogy and electrochemical characteristics such as transformation of alkaline minerals, and decreases of surface protonation and active alkaline groups, may be used to help the assessment of soil formation status in the bauxite residues of different age and associated rehabilitation requirements.

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Natural evolution of alkaline characteristics in bauxite residue

Cited by 124 publications

References 52 publications

Geochemical and mineralogical constraints in iron ore tailings limit soil formation for direct phytostabilization

Geochemical and mineralogical constraints in iron ore tailings limit soil formation for direct phytostabilization

Influence of natural regeneration on fractal features of residue microaggregates in bauxite residue disposal areas

Development of alkaline electrochemical characteristics demonstrates soil formation in bauxite residue undergoing natural rehabilitation

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