UditVani, Jamshedpur : CSIR NML signs agreement with National Aluminium Company, Bhubaneswar, to scale-up its developed process to 10TPD, to recover iron, alumina, titania and scandium oxide apart from other valuable and critical metals from red mud or bauxite residue. This development is in the light of the strong demand of scandium as well as the aged problem to remediate red mud. The initial development on 200kg scale at CSIR-NML was propelled by NITI AAYOG, which targeted red mud as a source of scandium. Worldwide only 3% wt from the 140,000,000 tons of Bauxite Residue produced annually are utilizes in cement and iron production.
India generates above 5 million tons of red mud, which contains 45-70 ppm scandium. CSIR-NML process could lead to recovery of alumina and iron, and generation of rare earth concentrate, which is now the envisaged feed to recover scandium. Scandium has a high revenue with multiple applications in aerospace, fuel cells, lasers, MIG aircrafts, 3D printing, garnets.
This is the first such development in India, which can ensure NALCO take longer strides in remediating red mud problems vis-à-vis adding to the REE supply chain from India to the world.
The agreement was signed in the august presence of Shri B.P.Singh, CMD NALCO, Shri Jagdish Arora, Director Technical, NALCO, Shri S.P .Mohaptra, Head, R&D, NALCO, Shri Vinod Verma, Manager, R&D, NALCO, along with Dr. S.K.Pal, Head, Business Development, NML, Dr. Sanjay Kumar, Dr. Abhilash, Dr. Pratima Meshram and Dr. N.S.Randhawa, on 6th January 2026, at NALCO Office in Bhubaneswar.
