Applications of coal ash
Applications of coal ash
The present article on the applications of coal ash has been written by Mr. Hossein Bagherpour .
Follow us on the Kia National website until the end.
Nowadays, turning on light bulbs and air conditioners is so common that few people think about the pollutants caused by electricity generation while consuming electricity.
For example, it is good to know that burning coal to generate electricity produces a lot of ash, which is associated with heavy metals and many toxic substances.
Recycling this pollutant is one of the most difficult waste management issues even in today’s advanced world.
In 2008, a similar catastrophe occurred in the US state of Tennessee.
Pollutants and ash were spread over an area of 121 hectares.
Rivers, surrounding lands, and homes were severely affected by this unexpected pollution.
The government and industrial units also reacted strongly to this issue. In the tense discussions between the two groups, the future management of fossil fuel by-products, especially in the field of electricity generation, was a topic that provoked different reactions
● Golden waste
It’s best to know a little more about coal ash first.
The good news is that this waste is not necessarily waste. Coal ash is recyclable and can be converted into a variety of products, including concrete and fertilizer.
The light ash produced by burning coal is a powdered silicon material known as a waste, but in fact has unique physical and chemical properties that have led creative ideas to reuse it.
The inventors are looking for a way to use it to build lighter military vehicles or even clean up oil.
But decision-makers around the world face a major challenge:
This is how safe use of coal ash can be encouraged, while the amount of landfills is increasing day by day, and at the same time, misuse and hazardous uses are unfortunately on the rise.
Undoubtedly, improper and unsafe use of this waste due to its potential pollution potential can put human and ecosystem at great risk.
Currently, light and suspended coal ash and other wastes produced from coal burning are the most important wastes in the world. The United States produces more than 136 million tons of this waste annually.
Coal waste volume in Europe
Estimates show that Europe also produces about 100 million tonnes of coal ash annually. There are no similar figures for China, but since China currently consumes more coal than any other country in the world, the production of this waste in China is undoubtedly significant.
Annual volume of coal produced in China
Chinese scientists at the Academy of Building Materials and the Institute for Technical Studies in the Construction Industry estimate that China produces 22.55 billion tons of coal ash annually. For years, critics and local communities have warned that routine ash burial practices will pose countless dangers to groundwater and nearby residents. About 60 percent of coal ash in the United States goes to landfills, but in Europe it is about 50 percent. Although in 2005 the Chinese government took a bold move to increase the recycling rate to 75 percent, it is currently only around 30 percent.
Coal ash recycling, yes or no
The issue of coal ash recycling has become even more complicated these days, as most environmental groups have condemned the recycling of ash, which is practically profitable from an industrial point of view.
In 2009, only about 7 million tons of ash was recycled in the United States, which was used in areas such as road infrastructure, fertilizer production, and the closure of abandoned mines.
Environmentalists believe that all of the above is dangerous for the environment and human societies.
Note: Coal ash is a hazardous but valuable waste that has exposed thermal power plants to environmental pollution charges.
Elements in coal ash
Coal ash includes:
Arsenic, mercury, lead and other heavy metals.
If the coal ash does not come into contact with water, the problem of its danger can be solved.
There is a safe way to recycle this waste: The chemical properties of coal ash have made it a viable alternative to the cement industry, and concrete builders have been using it for decades.
Use of coal ash in the concrete industry
The goal is for concrete builders to use coal ash and other recycled materials to prevent the release of high volumes of carbon into the atmosphere resulting from the conventional cement production process.
Cement is made by heating limestone and clay to thousands of degrees, but this process also produces 5 to 15 tons of carbon dioxide and releases it into the Earth’s atmosphere.
Although coal ash is a free product, it is not easy to use.
A concrete plant that has never used recycled materials must fundamentally change its approach if it is to change its method.
The issue of infrastructure is also very important. For example, coal ash must be stored separately from other materials. In addition, the concrete maker needs a reliable and permanent source, because he can not invest in this issue unless he is sure of the source of production and transportation. Be.
Strange uses of coal ash
Features of coal ash
Charcoal ash has unique properties that make it perfectly desirable for strange and wonderful uses. Ash is a useful additive with good performance in the concrete industry, it is even a good alternative to the clay used in the brick industry.
In some samples of recycled bricks, up to 40% of the coal has been used.
In addition, the hollow holes that they make in most metals are made using the same material.
Hollow cavities not only make certain metals stronger, but also reduce their weight.
Metal alloys that make up less than 20 to 30 percent of their weight in ash are compounds that do not differ in strength from the parent material, but the point is that these compounds weigh much less.
One of the uses that is being explored recently is to use these materials to build ships and even lighter vehicles.
Charcoal ash has another unusual effect:
This unusual efficiency is due to the unique chemical structure of its particles, which can easily absorb oil.
Sudipta Seale from the University of Central Florida
He made slight changes to the coal ash particles and introduced a new product called Oops.
Opes stands for “Oil Purification with Surface Particles”.
His research was funded by the US National Science Center shortly after the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
The innovation has not yet hit the market, but promises have been made.
These particles can absorb oil, but the problem is in the effluent that remains.
Here’s how to use it
This material is sprayed on the surface where the oil has leaked and then it must be collected.
Mr. Seil says
These particles are superior to other current oil collection technologies,
Because the raw material needed to prepare this product is easily available
And most importantly
Finally, oil can be saturated with ash
Transferred to power plants again and used its energy.
However, advanced tools are needed to reuse this energy;
However, studies have shown that this process will not introduce any toxic or dangerous substances that accompany the coal ash into the water.