Red mud (RM) is an alkaline solid waste generated during the production of alumina, and its high alkalinity is a major obstacle to its comprehensive utilization. This study used a leaching process with ferric sulfate (Fe2(SO4)3) solution to selectively remove alkaline components from RM. The results showed that the leaching efficiencies of Na and K reached 95.1 and 54.8%, respectively, under the conditions of leaching at room temperature, reaction time of 30 min, using 100 g/L of Fe2(SO4)3, and liquid-to-solid ratio of 8 mL/g. The low leaching efficiencies of other elements indicated that Fe2(SO4)3 solution exhibited good selectivity in the de-alkalization process. The Na2O content in the de-alkalized RM was reduced to 0.29%, making it suitable for the use in construction materials. Meanwhile, the Fe consumed and precipitated in the leach residue during the de-alkalization process can be regenerated using 1.5 mol/L H2SO4. Moreover, the leachate, after supplementation with Fe2(SO4)3, was reused for further de-alkalization of new RM samples. Cyclic de-alkalization accumulated the Na content in the leachate allowing the recovery of Na products. The process cannot only reduce the consumption of Fe2(SO4)3 solution but also enables the Na recovery, and the resulting crude product of Na2SO4 can be further separated and purified. In conclusion, the use of Fe2(SO4)3 solution to regulate the alkalinity of RM provides an economical and environmentally friendly approach for large-scale RM treatment.
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