ORALS

Waste generation is an unavoidable consequence from any industrial process. Among these wastes, the red mud, generated by the Bayer process in alumina refining, is one of the most challenging wastes in metallurgy, due to its caustic nature, combined with the vast quantities in which it is produced. Historically, the method of managing red mud is to store it in containment ponds, but this approach is far from perfect. However, economically viable commercial processes for the recovery and the reuse of it are not yet available. Industrial Ecology conceptualizes industry as a man-made ecosystem that operates in a similar way to natural ecosystems, where the waste or by product of one process is used as an input into another process. Industrial ecology interacts with natural ecosystems and attempts to move from a linear to cyclical or closed loop system. On this approach, Industrial Ecology seeks to emulate mature ecological systems in order to reduce environmental impacts through maximized efficiency of energy and resource inputs and the minimization of unutilized waste. Through these initiatives, industry has found ways to increase efficiency and turn waste into useful products. In this paper, this approach is proposed as a case study that put together a hypothetical, but typical, alumina refinery and a non-integrated ironmaking plant as the core of an industrial complex. In it, effluents of one plant are inputs to the other, leading to the total consumption of the red mud generated. Complementarily, some other selected side industries are included, and will constitute, together with the core plants, the proposed Industrial Ecology Complex. As will be shown, the main goal is towards the zero waste generation from the Complex. It must be pointed out that the figures presented in this work are hypothetical, but coherent to those from actual plants. For that, any apparent similarity to existing plants wouldn’t be but a coincidence.

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