Effect of phosphogypsum on saline-alkalinity and aggregate stability of bauxite residue
(1. School of Metallurgy and Environment, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China;
2. School of Resources, Environment and Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China)
2. School of Resources, Environment and Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China)
Abstract: A column experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of phosphogypsum (PG) on the saline- alkalinity, and aggregate stability of bauxite residue. Results showed that: with increasing leaching time, the concentrations of saline-alkali ions decreased while the concentration increased in bauxite residue leachate; compared with CK (control group) treatment, pH, electric conductivity (EC), exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP), sodium absorption ratio (SAR), and exchangeable Na+ content of bauxite residue were reduced following PG treatment; average particle sizes in aggregates following CK and PG treatments were determined to be 155 and 193 nm, respectively. SR-μCT test results also confirmed that bauxite residue following PG treatment acquired larger aggregates and larger pore diameter. These results indicate that the PG treatment could significantly modulate the saline-alkalinity, and simultaneously enhance aggregate stability of bauxite residue, which provides a facile approach to reclaim bauxite residue disposal areas.
Key words: bauxite residue; phosphogypsum; saline-alkalinity; aggregate stability