In a significant move towards sustainable mining and securing rare earth elements, CSIR-National Metallurgical Laboratory (NML) has inked a crucial agreement with National Aluminium Company Ltd (NALCO). The pact aims to scale up an innovative process to extract valuable and critical metals, including high-value scandium, from industrial waste known as red mud or bauxite residue.
A Solution to a Persistent Environmental Challenge
The collaboration, signed on Wednesday at the NALCO office in Bhubaneswar, targets the long-standing problem of red mud remediation. This toxic by-product of alumina production poses a major environmental challenge. India alone generates over 5 million tons of red mud annually, with global production reaching a staggering 140 million tons. Shockingly, only about 3% of this global residue is currently utilized, primarily in cement and iron production.
The agreement was formalized in the presence of B.P. Singh, Chairman and Managing Director of NALCO, and S.K. Pal, Head of Business Development at NML. It focuses on scaling NML's developed process from a successful 200kg scale to a substantial 10-tonnes-per-day (10TPD) demonstration plant.
Unlocking the Hidden Value in Waste
The core of the technology lies in its ability to recover multiple valuable components from what was previously considered waste. The CSIR-NML process is designed to efficiently recover:
- Iron
- Alumina
- Titania
- Scandium Oxide
- Other critical and valuable metals
The initial development on the 200kg scale was propelled by NITI Aayog, which specifically identified red mud as a strategic domestic source for scandium. Indian red mud is particularly promising, containing between 45 to 70 parts per million (ppm) of scandium.
Why Scandium is a Game-Changer
Scandium is the star element in this recovery process. It is classified as a rare earth element (REE) with a very high market value and diverse, high-tech applications. Its uses span critical industries including:
- Aerospace and MIG aircraft components
- Solid oxide fuel cells
- High-performance lasers
- Advanced 3D printing
- Synthetic garnets for electronics
The NML process first generates a rare earth concentrate, which then serves as the feed material for extracting pure scandium. This development is strategically timed, driven by strong global demand for scandium and the urgent need to address the environmental liability of red mud ponds.
This partnership marks the first such initiative in India and is poised to enable NALCO to make significant strides in solving its red mud problem. Simultaneously, it positions India to potentially contribute to the global rare earth element supply chain, adding a new dimension to the country's resource security and technological prowess.
