REDMUD

  This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 636876.  

Title

European Training Network for Zero-waste Valorisation of Bauxite Residue (Red Mud)

Concept

To tackle its (critical) raw material dependency, Europe needs comprehensive strategies based on sustainable primary mining, substitution and recycling. Freshly produced flows and stocks of landfilled industrial residues such as mine tailings, non-ferrous slag and bauxite residue (BR) can provide major amounts of critical metals and, concurrently, minerals for low-carbon building materials. The European Training Network for Zero-Waste Valorisation of Bauxite Residue (REDMUD) therefore targets the vast streams of new and stockpiled BR in the EU-28. BR contains several critical metals, is associated with a substantial management cost, whereas spills have led to major environmental incidents, including the Ajka disaster in Hungary. To date, zero-waste valorisation of BR is not occurring yet. The creation of a zero-waste BR valorisation industry in Europe urgently requires skilled scientists and engineers, who can tackle the barriers to develop fully closed-loop environmentally-friendly recovery flow sheets. REDMUD trains 15 researchers in the S/T of bauxite residue valorisation, with emphasis on the recovery of Fe, Al, Ti and rare earths (incl. Sc) while valorising the residuals into building materials.

Participants

• Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium (Coordinator)
• Helsingin yliopisto, Finland
• Kungliga Tekniska Hoegskolan, Sweden
• National Technical University of Athens – NTUA, Greece
• Tartu Ulikool, Estonia
• MEAB Chemie Technik GmbH, Germany
• Mytilineos Anonimi Etairia – Omilos Epicheiriseon, Greece
• Alouminion Tis Ellados Viomichaniki Kai Emporiki Anonymos Etaireia Veae, Greece (Participation ended)
• TITAN Cement Company, Greece