Radiological restrictions of using red mud as building material additive

Abstract

Red mud remains as residue from the processing of bauxite using different methods. The chemical composition of red mud varies widely with respect to the types of bauxite ore and processing parameters. Red mud samples from Guizhou, China, were investigated using a X-ray fluorescence spectroscope, a quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer and a electron probe micro-analyzer. The results showed that red mud consisted of eight main chemical components—CaO, Al₂O₃, SiO₂, Fe₂O₃, TiO₂, Na₂O, K₂O and MgO—and dozens of trace elements, including natural radioactive elements, such as uranium and thorium. Gamma spectrometric analysis showed that the values of internal exposure index I _Ra and external exposure index I _γ of Guizhou red mud were 1.1–2.4 and 2.3–3.5 respectively. Thus, it should not be used as a main building material indiscriminately. The amount of red mud from Guizhou when it is used for main building materials in China should be less than 28–44%.