In a major breakthrough, the R&D wing of the Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited (KMML) has developed a technique for the value addition of iron oxide slurry, a byproduct causing soil and groundwater pollution. The company currently has over 2 lakh tonnes of slurry stored in lined ponds and through the method it can be converted into usable iron products.
“The first trial was successful and talks are on with steel manufacturing companies to explore the commercial possibilities. By converting the slurry into metallised iron we can get rid of the hazardous waste and stop further accumulation. We are going ahead with the project and we will be conducting the second trial next week,” KMML managing director J. Chandrabose told The Hindu.
The byproduct is generated during the production of titanium dioxide, KMML’s flagship product. The acid seepage from the pond had earlier given rise to a string of environmental concerns. More than revenue generation, the authorities are focussing on the prospect of reducing the acidity level of iron oxide slurry so that there will not be large volumes of hazardous waste and issues related to leakage.
“The metal will not cause any pollution and we were able to convert it using the current facilities. Rotary kiln, an advanced pyroprocessing device, is used to convert the slurry and if we need to increase capacity we can install additional facilities,” he says.
NGT directive
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had earlier directed the KMML to prepare both short-term and long-term plans to mitigate environmental impacts as per the recommendations of the National Environment Engineering Research Institute (NEERI). It included the construction of garland drain around the iron oxide/effluent treatment plant (ETP) ponds, remediation of affected land near the KMML premises and the solid waste management system.
“As much as 75% of the garland drain construction to prevent seepage is over and works related to land remediation are also progressing. While these are short-term measures, we are also looking at a long-term plan to modify the plant to stop the generation of acidic iron oxide. And with this latest development we can process the current volume of slurry and sell it,” says Mr. Chandrabose.
