A review on sustainable utilization of bauxite residue (red mud) for the production of mortar and concrete

Abstract

The establishment of many industries produces a large amount of by-products in solid, semi-solid, and liquid form because industrial waste can be toxic or non-toxic in nature, causing serious damage to the environment. India has a vast network of existing industries, and in the future, many more will produce millions of tons of various by-product materials. Pollution and disposal problems can be reduced by using these materials effectively in civil engineering projects. This paper examined the evaluation of red mud produced in the alumina processing industry to determine its suitability as a construction material based on physical, chemical, and other civil engineering properties. Red mud is the fine-grained residue that remains after alumina has been extracted from bauxite ore. About 10 million metric tons of red mud waste is generated every year in India, causing very serious and alarming environmental problems. Neutralizing this red mud would be very beneficial, as it would reduce pollution. In addition, the neutralized red mud could be reused in construction mixes and as a raw material. The physical, chemical, and geotechnical characteristics of these waste materials were critically evaluated for this purpose. It was found that red mud can be used as building material.