Cleaner red mud residue production at an alumina plant by applying experimental design techniques in the filtration stage |
| |
Authors: | Américo José Preto Borges Rachel Ann Hauser-DavisTerezinha Ferreira de Oliveira |
| |
Institution: | a Alunorte - Alumina do Norte do Brasil S.A. - Rodovia PA, 481, km 12, Distrito de Murucupi, CEP: 68447-000, Barcarena, Pará, Brazil b Pontifícia Universidade Católica - Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), Departamento de Química, Laboratório de Estudos Ambientais e Toxicologia, Rua Marquês de São Vicente, 225, Gávea, CEP: 22453-900, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil c Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA) Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Naturais, Faculdade de Estatística and Faculdade de Ciências da Computação, Rua Augusto Correa, 01, CEP: 66075-110, Belém, PA, Brazil |
| |
Abstract: | Red mud is a residue obtained by the Bayer process during alumina production, and its disposal is an environmental problem due to its caustic nature, metal and radionuclide content and alkalinity. The present study analyzed five different filtration factors with two levels each in order to improve filtration and, thus, reduce the caustic content of this residue. This study was conducted at the Alumina do Norte do Brasil S.A (ALUNORTE) alumina plant, located in Pará, Brazil, in one of the six filters at the plant. Results show that the condensate is the primary factor in caustic red mud concentrations, followed by dilution, rotation and level of the basin filter. The interactions between dilution and the level of the basin filter were considered significant, as was the interaction amongst the three effects: dilution, level of the basin filter and vacuum. The model adjustment regarding the filtration process allows for the production of a final red mud product with lower caustic concentrations, resulting in economic advantages due to higher caustic recovery in filtration and lower caustic concentration in the red mud residue, which leads to an environmentally safer residue. |
| |
Keywords: | Bayer process Experimental design Analysis of variance Industrial experimentations Red mud |
本文献已被 ScienceDirect 等数据库收录! |
|