RAMR2D network scholarship holders
Affiliated CEAs :
- Boké Higher Institute of Mining and Geology (CEMS)
- Institut National Polytechnique Houphouët Boignet (CEA- MEM)
OULARE Pierre Tamba
Affiliated CEAs :
- Boké Higher Institute of Mining and Geology (CEMS)
- Institut National Polytechnique Houphouët Boignet (CEA- MEM)
Title :
Upgrading of red mud from alumina production at the Rusal Friguia plant to extract rare earth elements.
Summary of scientific project:
Red mud production is increasing worldwide despite its low utilization rate (Borra et al.,2016). This is also the case at the Rusal Friguia alumina plant in the Republic of Guinea.
Large quantities have been generated since 1960 and no recovery strategy is envisaged.
These residues are waste products from the extraction of alumina from Bauxite using the Bayer process. They contain exploitable grades of valuable metals: Fe; Al; Ti; REE and Sc. and are generally stored in settling ponds (Wang et al.,2019).
The long-term deposition of these Bauxite residues has always caused environmental problems due to their high alkalinity (pH > 13) and the presence of heavy metals (Borra et al.,2016). The dangers associated with this storage require the development of methods for neutralizing and extracting valuable metals (Rai et al.,2012).
The objective of the present work is the transformation of red mud into a secondary resource, which consists of developing an eco-technology for extracting Sc, which reveals economic importance among these rare earth elements.
Integration of the thesis project into the local, regional and international scientific community :
This thesis project is of vital importance for its impact on the local, regional and international scientific community.
It will make a significant contribution at local, regional and international level, not only in terms of improving the skills of learners in the various mineralurgical and metallurgical processes employed, but also in terms of the results of this research, which will serve as a springboard for many other researchers.
In this sense, it could promote the complementarity of skills between the doctoral student and the centers involved.
On a local level, this thesis project would create an ideal living environment for Rusal Friguia's workers and, above all, for the community living near the storage sites.