Abstract
	BY-PRODUCTS IN DIFFERENT FORM ARE PRODUCED IN EACH TECHNOLOGICAL PROCESS OF METAL PRODUCTION. THEY CAN BE IN THE SOLID, LIQUID OR GAS FORM. THE BY-PRODUCT DISPOSAL COULD SIGNIFY ECONOMICAL (HIGH-COST DUMP MAINTENANCE) BUT ALSO ECOLOGICAL PROBLEM (POSSIBLE ESCAPE OF DANGEROUS MATERIALS TO THE ENVIRONMENT). THEREFORE, THERE IS A BIG EFFORT FOR TREATMENT AND RECYCLING OF VALUABLE COMPONENTS OF SUCH BY-PRODUCTS. THE RED MUD IS SUCH BY-PRODUCT IN ALUMINA PRODUCTION. HIGHER ALUMINA PRODUCTION SIGNIFIES HIGHER PRODUCTION OF BAUXITE RESIDUE, RED MUD. THE WORLDWIDE ALUMINA INDUSTRY PRODUCES OVER 70 MILLION DRY METRIC TONS OF BAUXITE RESIDUE ANNUALLY. THIS REVIEW PAPER IS FOCUSED ON PATENT LITERATURE FOR THE PURPOSE TO GIVE A SUMMARY OF PATENTS RELATED TO THE TOPIC OF RED MUD TREATMENT. IT INCLUDES 88 PATENTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD FILLED BETWEEN 1957 AND 2002. JUST FEW PATENTS ARE IN PARTICULAR USE WITH THE SOLE OBJECTIVE OF RED MUD TREATMENT FROM ALUMNA PRODUCTION. THE EXPLANATION IS THE POOR ECONOMIC VIABILITY OF RED MUD TREATMENT IN GENERAL. MOST OF RECENT PATENTS COMBINE SEVERAL DIFFERENT METHODS TO REACH THE OBJECTIVE OF RED MUD TREATMENT. IT INVOLVES TREATMENT OF RED MUD FROM ALUMINA PRODUCTION BY DIRECT CONTACT WITH SOLID, LIQUID OR GAS REACTANT AND FOLLOWING HYDROMETALLURGICAL, THERMAL OR OTHER KIND OF PROCESSING.