Utilisation of wastes from synthetic rutile plants

Summary

Synthetic rutile production produces about 0.25 Mt/year of wastes.

The two major waste types are iron oxide waste and neutralised acid effluent waste. Glasshouse experiments showed that addition of 5-10% wastes to sandy soils greatly reduced leaching of fertilizer phosphorus and consequently increased plant growth by up to 60%.

Field experiments at five locations on the Coastal Plain, using ryegrass, clover and oats, demonstrated that addition of the wastes can increase the effectiveness of P fertilizers.

Keywords: synthetic rutile waste, soil ameliorant, fertilizer