Saint Petersburg Mining University (Saint Petersburg, Russia):

Piirainen V. Yu., Professor, Doctor of Engineering Sciences, piraynen@gmail.com
Barinkova A. A., Graduate Student, barinkov1996@yandex.ru

This paper presents the results of research on the applications of red mud, a large-tonnage alumina production waste, as one of the primary components for composite materials. Two areas of application are considered for red mud: a component in building concretes or a component in composite organo-mineral mixes for agricultural engineering purposes. Other source materials for the development of composite compounds include raised-bog peat for organo-mineral mixes, a hydraulic binder (Portland cement), gravel and building sand for concrete manufacture, as well as a plasticizer. Two red mud deactivation methods are shown for its preliminary preparation: treatment with sulfuric acid and mixing with the acidic organic component of the composite mix (raised-bog peat). The paper indicates the exact quantitative ratios for the building material components of red mud, binders, and aggregates required to make concretes with standard strength characteristics and experimentally establishes the optimal ranges for the content of red mud in the organo-mineral mixes developed. It is shown that red mud deactivation with peat triggers physical and chemical activation of humic substances in the composite mix, which increases its biological activity when used as a fertilizer in depleted soils. This research opens the way to the development and large-scale use of a wide range of composite materials for various purposes based on red mud with an aim to respond to the urgent environmental challenges of mass accumulation and storage of respective waste.

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