Overview

• The method uses flash Joule heating with a small dose of chlorine gas to vaporize harmful metals from bauxite residue.
• In tests, the process removed 96% of iron and nearly all toxic species in 60 seconds while retaining almost all aluminum.
• The treated residue can return to aluminum production or be formed into super-hard ceramic tiles and bricks.
• The approach uses no water or solvents and strips sodium salts, reducing the causticity typical of red mud.
• The study was published September 15 in ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces and is being scaled by Flash Metals USA with industry partners.