dc.contributor.author |
Santini, Talitha C.
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|
dc.contributor.author |
Fey, Martin V.
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|
dc.contributor.author |
Gilkes, Robert J.
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|
dc.date.accessioned |
2015-11-04T06:18:40Z |
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dc.date.available |
2015-11-04T06:18:40Z |
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dc.date.issued |
2015-07-14 |
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dc.description.abstract |
Bauxite residue is an alkaline, saline tailings material generated as a byproduct of the Bayer process used for alumina refining. Developing effective plans for the long term management of potential environmental impacts associated with storage of these tailings is dependent on understanding how the chemical and mineralogical properties of the tailings will change during weathering and transformation into a soil-like material. Hydrothermal treatment of bauxite residue was used to compress geological weathering timescales and examine potential mineral transformations during weathering. Gibbsite was rapidly converted to boehmite; this transformation was examined with in situ synchrotron XRD. Goethite, hematite, and calcite all precipitated over longer weathering timeframes, while tricalcium aluminate dissolved. pH, total alkalinity, and salinity (electrical conductivity) all decreased during weathering despite these experiments being performed under “closed” conditions (i.e., no leaching). This indicates the potential for auto-attenuation of the high alkalinity and salinity that presents challenges for long term environmental management, and suggests that management requirements will decrease during weathering as a result of these mineral transformations. |
en_ZA |
dc.description.librarian |
am2015 |
en_ZA |
dc.description.sponsorship |
Alcoa of Australia Ltd. and BHP Billiton Worsley Alumina Ltd. |
en_ZA |
dc.description.uri |
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/metals |
en_ZA |
dc.identifier.citation |
Santini, TC, Fey, MV & Gilkes, RJ 2015, 'Experimental simulation of long term weathering in alkaline bauxite residue tailings', Metals, vol. 5, pp. 1241-1261. |
en_ZA |
dc.identifier.issn |
2075-4701 |
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dc.identifier.other |
10.3390/met5031241 |
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dc.identifier.uri |
http://hdl.handle.net/2263/50320 |
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dc.language.iso |
en |
en_ZA |
dc.publisher |
MDPI Publishing |
en_ZA |
dc.rights |
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license. |
en_ZA |
dc.subject |
Weathering |
en_ZA |
dc.subject |
Pressure vessels |
en_ZA |
dc.subject |
In situ XRD |
en_ZA |
dc.subject |
Bauxite residue |
en_ZA |
dc.subject |
Reaction kinetics |
en_ZA |
dc.title |
Experimental simulation of long term weathering in alkaline bauxite residue tailings |
en_ZA |
dc.type |
Article |
en_ZA |