The Pederson process is a process of refining aluminum that first separates iron by reducing it to metal, and reacting alumina with lime to produce calcium aluminate, which is then leached with sodium hydroxide. It is more environmentally friendly than the more well-known Bayer process. This is because instead of producing alumina slag, also known as red mud, it produces pig iron as a byproduct. Red mud is considered both an economic and environmental challenge in the aluminum industry because it is considered a waste, with little benefit. It destroys the environment with its high pH, and is costly to maintain, even when in a landfill. Iron, however, is used in the manufacture of steel, and has structural uses in civil engineering and chemical uses as a catalyst.