The engineering and envorimental geology of Seydi̇şehi̇r Eti aluminium company's red mud tailing dam

As a precoution of environment, from liquid and solid waste materials, which are the result products of ore preparition processes, the wastes are being stroged in a specific place, the structures which are used for this precoution phase are called tailing dams which some examples canbe found in Konya. Seydişehir is one of the township, which is located in southwest of Konya. Seydişehir Eti Aluminium Company, which established in 1973 in the northern side of the Seydişehir township; started to manufacture full power in 1977 and only liquid aliminyum manufacturer of Turkey, has capacity of producing, 340.000 ton hydrate, 200.000 ton calcined alumina and 60.000 ton primary aluminium, by 460.000 ton bauxite process. The main purpose of the company is producing and selling of, bauxite, alumina, aluminium casting, rolled products. In the process of manufacturing aluminium from bauxite, annually 100-110 thousand red colored waste -because of the high iron frequency- is thrown away, to the 9 million3 capacity, I. Red Mud Tailing Dam. The 35%-40% of the bauxite in the manufacture process resulted in the production of red muddy waste, which is pH approximatly 12-13, rate of the salid mass is, between 10%-30%, the main compenents are iron and aluminium oxcides, is thrown away. Since the beginning of the manufacture process of the company it is forecasted that, the total waste is around 3,5-4,0 million ton. Cryolite which is a process product of gas precipitation process with fluorine element, is thrown away separately from the mud of, I. Red Mud Tailing Dam, to the Cryolite Dam owned by the Seydişehir Eti Aluminium Company, because it will be a barrier for the re use in the process, of the water which thrown away in mud in I. Red Mud Tailing Dam. In the first planning phase of I. Red Mud Tailing Dam, the plans have been made appropriate to this requirement, so the prossed solid waste and the water compenent of the waste, comes towards to dam, will be able to recycle. But because of the incrustation of waste water tunnel that is send to Cryolite Dam, the water which is directed here, is eliminated after union with red mud. Because of this union, cryolite becomes one of the I. Red Mud Tailing Dam waste components, because of that, water cannot be reused, so the dam is inadequate before the date which is planned. To able to overcome this problem, the re-heighting of dam, projects have begun in 1975. River mouth has been rised and company elevation has come to 1147 from 1137. Because old drainage surround canal is under dam water, new surround canal has been projected. Dam structures-sensitivity data have been analyzed by phase2 software which have been re-heightened at river mouth. This software program's data reults showed that dam is completely ready for going on usage. In the scope of the thesis, for rised river mouth, dam susceptibility tests have been made, and the result of the these tests inatiated that, the useing of the dam will be problem free. Because, of non fit to recycle water -because of the cryolite- accumulation, resulted as over running elevation of water processing in both of the dams, I. Red Mud Tailing Dam and Cryolite Dam, there has been founded another dam, II. Red Mud Tailing Dam, in front of Cryolite Dam, which is problematic of water absorption because of the karst and travertine origin of land. Water has been keep rising in the dams, because of the non return of the water to the system, so it resulted as more need for storing. And for the discharge of the waste water from dams, as a precaution by the company for the leakage of the water, I. Red Mud Tailing Dam's fount and river mouth barriers, filter zones have been made impervious. And waste have been collapsed on the body, with the filling process, non leakage sitution has been succeeded. In this study, the materials exclusivity have been determined that used for barrier filter processes, so the dam can be founded as water proof. In the mean time, it has been established that, if there is any leakage from the dam toward to enternal water fountains or to groundwater, with the analysis of water samples taken from dam, these datas have been added to study. Samples from 22 different locations have been collected and their analyzes have been made by accredited laboraties. Seydişehir Eti Aluminium Company; in the manufactoring processes, addition of cauistic bauxuite resulted as aluminium hydrate; in the following phase with autoclav unite, pulp formation has been observed. A wastedwater profile have been trackted from settling tank to thickener. Depend on this studies, wastewaters which is based from manufactoring processes are heavily includes flouride. In the option of decharge to taker side, addition to flouride, aluminium is a wasting parameter also. Water samples have been tested by chemical analysis, and test results showed that I. Red Mud Dam top phases aluminium concentration was high as expected it to be. Recycle experiments of the top phases of the dam have been made at, Gebze Techinal Institute Laboratory, by the supervisement by Prof. Dr. Bülent Keskinoğlu. Chemical precipitation, increasement of membrane filtration experiments have been made. These experiments suggested that before chemical precipitation phase; double chemical precipitation or double nanofiltration system is a necessity, they have been added to thesis context. In this situation, Alumina Factory's 6. washer sub water send to I. Red Mud Tailing Dam. The solutions that is send to I. Red Mud Dam, solid compenents, precipitates in the dam and storages as such, the liquid on the upper part is used to dilute the mud. To make waterproof the I. Red Mud Dam towars ground waters and enternal fountains, clay filling materials have been used in dams corners, in foundation and in barrier. Till bouxite reservoir of I. Red Mud Dam gets over processes, with observations have been made in the processes places, and re heightening products sensitivity tests, climate of the dam area have been calculated. And results showed that Dam is can be used for ongoing. Fundemantal of the dam, have been added to study. Dams surrondings have been fenced and a drainage system has been founded that collects rainwater. Reinforced concrete has been made in the one side of the dam, for natural pond structure. In the situations of over full filling, by bass is made towards to second dam, to II. Red Mud Tailing Dam. In the scope of thesis, mine company's must have processes which must plan in the set up phase and, rehabiliton studys after operating have been planned for Seydişehir Aluminium I. Red Mud Waste Dam and the environment. Because or the environment of Seydişehir Eti Aluminium, it must have been calculated as tree layers. First of all lake area consodelition studies have been made. In the mean time, front skeleton rehabilitation process can be made. As a last part of the whole process, material absorbing areas turning to fresh water lake rehabilitation process can be made while dam usage is going on.