READYGRIT® – EXTRACTING VALUE FROM BAUXITE RESIDUE

Lee, F., Attiwell, S., Cooling, D., Myers, L., Nyeboer, H., Malley, I., Hay, P., Irons, R., Tate, D.

Refining alumina from bauxite results in large volumes of residue being produced, which require storage in secure impoundments. In Alcoa’s Western Australian refineries, approximately forty percent of the residue generated is a coarse sand fraction comprised predominately of iron oxides and quartz. There is significant value in this material as construction sand, particularly where sand resources are limited. This paper outlines the pathway taken to transform Alcoa’s bauxite residue sand into a valuable, marketable and safe product for applications where high strength construction sand is required. A washing and neutralisation technology was piloted and optimised to produce ReadyGrit^® from bauxite residue sand for a series of demonstration trials in road construction, top dressing and industrial land development. ReadyGrit^® was also subjected to a vigorous regime of health, safety and environmental risk assessments to ensure the product is viable for use.