PROCESS FOR TREATING WASTE STREAMS CONTAINING BAUXITE TAILINGS

摘要

The invention provides a solution to the problems encountered by conventional red mud produced by the Bayer process. The invention includes a process for treating waste streams containing bauxite tailings to recover alkali metal hydroxide(s) present, to obtain them as refined mineral values such as sodium hydroxide and aluminum hydroxide that will increase the efficiency of the Bayer process. Further, the process leads to an environmentally beneficial a calcium carbonate product that can be incorporated into building materials or filtration media.