The chemical analysis of the calcareous mud (CM) which is produced as a by-product from the Egyptian sugar beet companies was the corner stone behind the idea of this research. From the chemical analysis, it was found that the CM consists mainly of CaCO 3 , MgCO 3 , and about from 10 to 15% organic matter. The organic matter present in the CM is considered by all means as an added value, especially when the CM is going to be used in pyro-industrial applications. In this paper, three different

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... ternatives will be investigated in order to choose the best of them. The first alternative was replacing the limestone (LS) used in the sintering of El-Bahareya iron ores in the Egyptian Iron and Steel Company (Hadisolb) by the CM. In this respect, several pilot scale experiments were performed in Hadisolb. The performed experiments covered replacements of LS by the CM from zero to 100%, with an increment of 10% each time. Chemical analyses and drum tests were performed for each run of experiments. Taking into considerations both the productivity and the sinter quality, the results proved that at least 10% reduction in coke consumption can be achieved, due to the replacement of LS in the sintering process by the CM. The second alternative is using the CM in the Charge Mix of the Calcination Furnace in cement companies. The performed experiments in Alexandria Portland Cement Company (APCC) proved that although the use of the CM in the mix is technically useful, but is not economic. Aside from these two alternatives (pyro-industrial applications), a third alternative based on the advantage of offering CM for free, is used as a back-filling material (BFM) for the underground cables carrying the electric current. It is well known that the current carrying capacities of the cables are highly affected by the thermal resistivity of the BFM. The results of using the CM as a BFM for the underground cables compared with sand which is used nowadays by the current transmission companies in Egypt indicated that the current carrying capacity for cables of the same material and diameter was highly increased by using the CM as a BFM instead of sand.