gaga - Mt Aspiring is a region of NZ which has some geochemical anomolies - which I presume is why the company use that name for the Bauxsol patent. As the initial research was done in Uni in NZ - it all ties in.
Read article below. Abandoned Mine Lands
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EPA Home > Superfund > Abandoned Mine Lands > Technical Resources > AML Technology News > The Use of Bauxsol(TM) Technology in Mine Site Management and Remediation
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The Use of Bauxsol(TM) Technology in Mine Site Management and Remediation The Use of Bauxsol(TM) Technology in Mine Site Management and Remediation May 2003 Author(s): McConchie, D.M. and M. Clark (Southern Cross Univ.); G. Maddocks (Virotec International Ltd.); F. Davies-McConchie; S. Pope; W. Caldicott Mining and the Environment — Montreal, 4-7 May 2003. Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum, Montreal, Quebec Mine: Waste Type: ARD, tailings Contaminant(s): trace metals, phosphate, acid Technology Type: Bauxsol(TM) Keywords: acid rock drainage, ARD, sulphidic mine tailings, waste rock Abstract: A material based on mud residues generated during alumina production has the capacity to neutralize acid and trap trace metals, with application to the treatment of acid rock drainage and mine tailings. Bauxsol™ is prepared by chemical and physical modification of the caustic red mud residue generated by the Bayer process for extracting alumina from bauxite prior to electrolytic reduction. The useful properties of the compound were first recognized in 1992 by three scientists at Southern Cross University in New Zealand. Following laboratory investigations, a joint venture was formed with Virotec International Ltd. to carry out full-scale field trials and to commercialize the technology. The venture completed a successful pilot-scale (1.6 million liter) trial in early 2000 and full-scale treatment of a commercial 1500 million-liter tailings dam a few months later. Large-scale treatment and revegetation of sulphidic mine tailings and waste rock also was completed successfully in 2000. Virotec holds the license for the worldwide marketing and distribution rights to the Bauxsol™ technology. Because it is prepared from an industrial residue, Bauxsol™ is relatively inexpensive. This 'green' reuse of a waste product also lightens the burden of industrial waste disposal. Pure Bauxsol™ is a dry red solid that consists of a complex cocktail of minerals. The exact composition depends on the composition of the bauxite used at each refinery, operational procedures at the refinery, neutralization processing of the caustic red mud, and the blends chosen. Various blends can be prepared by adding small quantities of natural minerals or other chemical substances to the base mixture to improve its performance for treatment of particular contaminants. Pure Bauxsol™ has a high acid-neutralizing capacity (2.5 to 7.5 moles of acid/kg of Bauxsol™, depending on the operational procedures at the refinery) and a very high trace metal trapping capacity (usually greater than 1,000 milliequivalents of metal/kg of Bauxsol™). It also has a high capacity to trap and bind phosphate and some other chemical species. Application of Bauxsol™ to treat acid rock drainage (ARD) and sulphidic waste rock and tailings provides new options for managing some intractable environmental problems at both derelict and active mine sites. Maximum treatment efficiency can be achieved when a balance is maintained between the rate of trace metal binding and the rate of change in water pH; adding treatment reagents faster than can be accommodated by the reaction kinetics will not result in more rapid water treatment. This paper presents the results for treating several ARD waters to illustrate the importance of blend selection and treatment procedure. For more information online: Contact: Will Caldicott, Virotec USA Inc., 617-491-5161, [email protected]
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Last updated on Saturday, July 17th, 2004 URL: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/programs/aml/tech/news/bauxsol.htm
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