The work that follows is a contribution to the aluminum industry’s sustainability. It deals with the critical issue of solid wastes accruing to that sector. By-products from aluminum refining are solid wastes, liquid effluents and gaseous emissions. Each kilogram of metal produced is accompanied by three and a half kilograms of bauxite residue, commonly known as red mud. Current practice is to use decantation lagoons that are built with elaborate precautions for preventing environmental contamination. The aim of the present work is to investigate this pollutant within the perspective of current solid industrial waste technologies, and to study the practicalities for utilization and new processes. The very high ratio residue/end product provides a strong incentive insofar as the residue concerned does in fact offer numerous commercial opportunities. Thus the feasibility of converting the residue into a raw material is a real alternative to landfill disposal. Numerous industrial processes and technologies have been considered in relation to environmental legislation, industrial marketing, competitive processes and other factors. In conclusion the subject paper recommends a series of activities that would achieve transformation of red mud into valuable substances and substitute other existing raw materials without adversely affecting quality and the environment.

1. The challenge of sustainable development of
the aluminum industry:
"turning waste into products”
1
Marcelo Suster- Ecouniverso
Antonio Carlos da Cruz- RecAltech
Presented at 6th International Aluminum Meeting-
Brazilian Aluminum Assotiation- April/2014

2. Research and development of processes
and operation of demonstration plants
Aluminum recycling without salt:
Tilting rotary furnace plasma;
Stationary plasma furnace with circulating
bath for electromagnetic pump.
Power generation:
Thermal processing of biomasses and
waste
industrial and urban.

3. Projetos Ambientais para o combate às mudanças climáticas
Consulting
Carbon Managment
• GHG inventory
• Projects to reduce emissions
• Verification of GHG inventory
• Product Carbon Footprint
Socioenvironmental
Responsibility
• Study of benchmarks and metrics
• Evaluation of supply chain
• ISE, GRI, CDP, reports
• ICO2- Carbon Efficient Index
Sustentability
Trainning
• Workshops and courses
• Trainnings in company
Solid Waste
• PNRS - GRS and Verification Plan
• Technological Innovation in the Treatment
• Recycling and Reverse Logistics
• Transformation in Products

4. Work Motivation / "Cryolite Coal "
4
Electrolyte
Coal
skimming
Cryolite
Coal
20.000 ton
USD 70/Mton
Coprocessing
USD 18/ton
Sales
(USD 1,400,000) + USD 360,000
Source: Elaborated by author

5. Aluminum: Sustainability Partner?
5
Emissions Energy
Solid Waste
Consumption
Source: Elaborated by author

6. Sustainability Tripod
6
SSoocciiaall EEnnvviirroonnmmeennttaall
EEccoonnoommiicc
Source: Elaborated by author

7. Steel X Aluminum
Solid waste generation
1 Mton of product
7
Steel
700 Kg
Aluminum
3.500 Kg
1 Mton of product
Source: Elaborated by author

8. 8
Steel
Arcelor- Mital- 2012
Source: www.arcelor.com.br- visited on 22nd/oct/2014

9. Global Aluminum Flow in Mton
9
Total de Produtos
Estocados/em uso
Desde 1888
586 .0
Produtos
Acabados(
output
)
40.4
Outras
Aplicações
1.0
Produtos pré-fabricados
e finais (input)
67.4
Sucata
nova
8.6
Lingotes 68.8
Sucata
Fabricante
18.4
Sucata
Nova 1.4
Perdas de Metal
sucata
Velha
7.8
Outros 11% Engenharia
1.4 Não reciclado 3.5 Sob investigação 3.7
Bauxite 1.80
Resíduo de Bauxita
75
Água 38
Alumina 6. 5
Alumínio Primário
34.
Alumínio Refundido
35.
Construção 32% Transporte 28%
Auto.motivo 16%
Adição Líquida
2006: 24.4
Emabalagens 1%
E Cabos 28%
Total de alumínio produzido até
Source: CRU 2013: 1.137 Milhões de toneladas
Total volume of red
mud generated over
History

10. Brazil Situation
3o Largest Alumina Producer
8o Largest Aluminum Producer
10
3o Largest Bauxite Producer
3o Largest Bauxite Residue Producer
Brazilian Alumina Production: 11 Million Mton
Estimated Bauxite Residue Generation: 22 Million Mton
Source: Elaborated by author

11. Working Lines with Bauxite Residue-
BR
Environmental safety of residue lakes/
landfills
Dry generation
Neutralization of BR
Recovery of elements/substances
Application of BR products
11

12. Goal: Collaborate with management of industrial solid
waste, seeking the application of waste products
Results:
1.Roadmap of activities for this application and
2.A choice of strategic direction
12
Technological
Research
Market
Research
Legal and
Fiscal
Suitability
Business
Process
Residue Product
Source: Elaborated by author

13. Application of waste from the
aluminum industry
13
Source: Elaborated by author

14. Patents- BR Applications
14
Nº patentes
0 100 200 300
C04: cement, concrete, artificial stone, ceramic, refractory
C10: industries of oil, gas or coke,
technical gases containing carbon monoxide, fuel, lubricants, peat
C21: iron metallurgy
C09: dyes, polidires, natural resin adhesives, various compositions,
various applications of substances
F27: furnaces, ovens, kilns, retorts
B03: separation of solid materials using liquids or tables
C05: fertilizers, their manufacture
E01: construccion de rodovias, ferrovias ou de pontes
C03: glass, rock wool and slag wool
A01: agriculture, forestry, livestock, hunting, capture in traps, fishing
B28: manipulation of cement, clay or stone
E04: building
B22: foundry, metallurgy of metallic powders
D21: the manufacture of paper pulp production
C04
C10
C21
C09
F27
B03
C05
E01
C03
A01
B28
E04
B22
D21
Source: NIT- UFSCar

15. Potential applications identified
Resíduo
de
Bauxita
Sequestration of
heavy metals
Ceramic tiles
Soil glass
corrective
Concrete
Chemicals
Pigment
/Plastic filler
Sinthetic
steel slag
Gallium
Alo Red ceramic
Sulphate
Raw material
cement flour
Source: Elaborated by author 15

16. Attractiveness Matrix
16
Source: Elaborated by author
Environmental Safety
Concret
e
Soil
Corrective Ceramic
Plastic
filler
Sequestrant
Glass

17. Cases Study
Vidros
Objetivo: Incorporação na matriz de vidro âmbar como matéria-prima.
17
Amber glass
No residue With Residue
Construction Concrete
Standart concrete
Red ceramic Soil corrective
Concrete with BR
Source: Elaborated by author

18. 18
SWAT analysis
STRENGTHS
Cost reduc on of residues disposal
Addi onal cash with residues sales
Decrease of environmental liability
Use of current resources to
commercialize the residues (sales force)
THREATS
Market reac on, dropping prices of the
products that were affected by residue
compe on
Consump on market rejec on being
due to using residues in the products
OPPORTUNITIES
Image gain and company trademark
reinforcement
Fiscal gains: green seal, less taxes, etc.…
WEAKNESS
Exposure to new poten al liabili es
outside own landfill
Exposure of the environmental
management system
Company
Market
Source: Elaborated by author

19. Market Forces Balance
19
NEWENTRANTS
New companies
hema te producers,
cement, clay and
limestone suppliers
Suppliers
INDUSTRYRIVALRY
Hema te producers
Cement Producers
Clay Suppliers
Limestone Suppliers
TRENDS
The buyerscanearnwith
the op onsoffersincrease
of rawmaterials. Cost
decrease, anda green
image.
The final consumerscan
earnalsowitha price
reduc on of the final
products. But onthe other
hand, the consumerscan
reject productsthat contain
residues.
BUYERS
Glass producers
Concrete producers
Ceramic, agriculture
and, at second level:
final consumers
Source: Elaborated by author Subs tutes

20. Legislative environment
Transportation and disposal
extensively regulated
PNRS- National Solid Waste Polic
Responsibility for the entire supply chain,
including post-consumer
20

21. Search poten al applica ons
for the residue according to
their proper es
Iden fying a poten al
applica on for the
residue
Checking the opera ng
license of the poten al
customer
Monitoring the
13
applica on of the test
residue
1
4
Tax classifica on of
the product
Send the product
safety data sheet
To know the residue
Physicochemical
characteris cs
Iden fying a poten al
applica on for the
residue
Applica on in
laboratory scale
Measure the impact of the
addi on of the tradi onal
product residue
Contact the environmental
agencies in their regions of
origin and applica on of
residue
License to transport
waste
Permit for biosolids
applica on
Iden fy a partner
(client-poten al)
Industrial trial
marke ng
1
5
1
6
Remove the residue of
the waste inventory,
the company
Put the new product in
the descrip ve Memorial
venture - MCE
11
22
33
44
55
66
77
88
99
1
0
10
11
11
1
2
1
2
1
3
1
4
1
5
1
6
17
17
1
1
8
Source: Elaborated by author 8

22. Valuation of aluminum / Cost Socio-Environmental
Sale of waste
Custo
Sócio-
Ambiental
22
Faturamento
do setor
Atmospheric
emissions
Generation of
effluents Solid Waste
Raw Material
Energy
Other inputs
Workforce
Services
Replacing
steel in
transportation
Energy
consumption
Durability of
aluminum
lengthens the
life cycle of
products
Recyclability of
the metal
Waste
Generation
Source: Elaborated by author

23. Socio cost of aluminum
23
SOCIO COST
OF
ALUMINUM
Source: Elaborated by author
NEGATIVE
EXTERNALITIES
(energy intensive
use + GHG
emissions +
waste generation
+ bauxite use)
POSITIVE
EXTERNALITIES
(Revenue + fuel
saving +
recycling +
aluminum long
shelf life)
= -

24. Conclusions
The process of transforming waste into products
based on their financial, environmental and social
impacts, is a key factor in the change of positive
and negative externalities in this way contribute to
the aluminum industry sustainability;
The literature is rich in studies of technological
application for the RB, but little or nothing has
turned into sustainable commercial activities;
A roadmap of activities to transform waste into
products is very important in directing the efforts of
the aluminum industry;
24

25. Conclusions
The targeting of efforts to transform the raw material
into a RB to be sold in the market can not generate
results;
The aluminum industry should think about adding
value to the RB within their own generating plants
RB, transforming it into a product, before being
transported;
This paper attempts to serve as a gateway to an
approach of applying RB broader, involving from
the beginning trade and market variables.
25

26. Thanks to
IPT- Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas do
Estado de São Paulo
Alcoa
NIT- UFSCar
26

27. "The world we will leave to our children depends on
the children to leave the world"
2º Fórum Internacional Criança e Consumo
Thank you!
marcelo.suster@ecouniverso.com.br