Ash Tech - Leader in Exports & Supplies of Fly Ash
We've been documenting the plain fact that the solid Coal Utilization Byproducts, more commonly known as Fly Ash and Scrubber Sludge, currently arising most particularly from our combustion of Coal for the generation of economical electric power, are, in fact, valuable raw materials from which we can derive products useful in the construction, concrete, plastics and other industries.
Some of our reports on the issue have included:
University of Kentucky Prepares Coal Ash for Market | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent 6,533,848 - High Quality Polymer Filler and Super-Pozzolan from Fly Ash; 2003; Assignee: The University of Kentucky; Abstract: A novel method for producing fly ash material with a range of particle sizes (as specified) is provided utilizing superplasticizers. The method produces fly ash material suitable for use as filler material in the plastics industry and super pozzolan for the concrete industry"; and:
Wisconsin Recovers "Cenospheres" from Coal Fly Ash | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent 8,074,804 - Separation of Cenospheres from Fly Ash; 2011; Assignee: Wisconsin Electric Power Company; Abstract: Methods for increasing the amount of cenospheres in a fly ash sample are disclosed. Claims: A method for increasing the amount of cenospheres in a fly ash sample ... wherein: the fly ash is a byproduct of burning subbituminous or bituminous coal. Some particles in fly ash are solid. Other particles in fly ash are hollow and are called cenospheres. In the composite materials field, there is increasing interest in ultra light energy-absorbing materials and structures which incorporate hollow particles. Accordingly, cenospheres have been added to polymers and there is growing interest in incorporating them in metals. Fine and sized cenospheres can be sold at attractive prices to this segment of industry providing syntactic foams and cellular solids. In addition, there is a growing market for fine solid microspheres to produce reinforced polymers, metals and ceramics".
Herein, we see that the value of Coal Ash, and of the materials, like "Cenospheres", that can be derived from Coal Ash, is recognized and appreciated, and being profitably exploited, in some other, perhaps unlikely, places in the world.
India, it seems, has developed what appears to be a thriving industry based on the reclamation and reuse of Coal Ash. They are even earning, it seems, a certain amount of foreign exchange through the export of Coal Ash and products derived from Coal Ash, much of which is being sent, it seems from the available literature, to the desert nations of OPEC.
First, from the initial link in this dispatch, we introduce:
"Ash Tech, with its corporate headquarters in Delhi, India, has recycled more than 5 Million tons of fly ash in India during the last 20 years.
We are one of the major fly ash suppliers to Industries like Ready Mix Concrete, Cement Plants, ... Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, ... Bricks, Blocks, Interlock Blocks & Pavers, and Building Contractors etc.
Fly ash from ESP (Electrostatic Precipitators) can be supplied. We have our own fleet of trucks, & highly trained staff for quality maintenance & round the clock operations. We have installed our own state of art equipment for collection of Fly ash from ESP's at the power plants. We can supply fly ash of different quality and properties as per International & Indian specification at very competitive rates, in bulk carriers, or packed in Jumbo Bags.
We are also exporting fly ash to Nepal, the Middle East and Saudi Arabia."
And, it seems that Ash Tech, like Georgia Tech, as we reported for one instance in:
Georgia Tech Recycles Coal Utilization Byproducts | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent 8,057,594 - High Strength Pozzolan Foam Materials and Methods of Making Same; 2011; Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta, GA; Abstract: The various embodiments of the present invention relate generally to high strength foam materials and methods of making the same. More particularly, various embodiments of the present invention relate to high strength foam materials comprising pozzolans, such as cenospheres derived from fly ash";
has discovered the value of the special Coal Utilization Byproduct, "Cenospheres", since, as seen via:
Ash Tech - Cenosphere; they tell us that:
"A cenosphere is a lightweight, inert, hollow sphere comprised largely of silica and alumina and filled with air and/or gases. Cenospheres are a naturally occurring by-product of the burning process at coal-fired power plants, and they have most of the same properties as manufactured hollow-sphered products";
and, that the end product benefits include: "Improved Insulation Values" and "Reduced End Product Weight", among other things.
Further, it seems that the value of Coal Utilization Byproducts is so well-recognized in India, that the preparation and supply, and export, of them has become a competitive industry, as seen via:
Flyash, Cenosphere, Fly Ash Company, Cenosphere Company, Fly Ash Suppliers, Fly Ash Export, Fly Ash Exporter, Fly Ash Companie; wherein another Indian company tells us that:
"Pearl Enterprise is the largest Fly Ash & Cenosphere Exporter and Suppliers in India.
We are supplying high quality product of Fly Ash (ASTM 618F) and Cenosphere (to the) Middle East (Dubai and United Arab Emirates).
Fly ash is a coal ash recovered ... at coal fired thermal power plants, and contains small amounts of iron, magnesium, and calcium as well as the main elements of silica and aluminum."
And, still a third Indian Coal Ash provider is so proud of their products that they tout them in a glossy brochure that would do the slickest Manhattan Avenue snake oil salesman proud, as accessible via:
http://flyash.co.in/images/
"Tanveer Enterprises, with its corporate headquarters in Delhi, India, has recycled ... fly ash in India for more than a decade. With Five distribution terminals, we are one of the major fly ash suppliers to Industries like Ready Mix Concrete, Cement Plants, Roofing Sheet Manufacturer, Bricks, Blocks, Interlock Blocks & Pavers, and Building Contractors etc.
We have our own fleet of trucks, bulkers & highly trained staff for quality maintenance & round the clock
operations.
We have installed our own state of art equipment for collection of Fly Ash from ESP's (Electro Static Precipitators) at the power plants.
(If we interpret the above correctly, so valuable is Coal Ash that a company who wants to sell it is actually installing the equipment to collect it at, and for, the Coal-fired power plants. It might not be costing, via the pass-through of costs, the customers of the Coal-based electricity anything.)
We can supply fly ash of different quality and properties as per your specification at very competitive rates, in bulk carriers (and) Jumbo Bags.
We are also regularly exporting fly ash to Nepal, the Middle East, Gulf and Saudi Arabia.
(They do seem to like to spend petrodollars on Coal Fly Ash in Saudi Arabia, don't they? Tanveer Enterprise's wording in their brochure is closely-similar to the advert from "Ash Tech", as we reported above, and, they, too, are headquartered in Delhi; all of which made us think they might be one and the same company. Our research, though, does seem to confirm that they are separate enterprises, and, likely competitors in the Coal Ash for petrodollars trade.)
ASHCRETE (Fly Ash) is a pozzolan for concrete, consisting of the “finely divided residue that results from the combustion of ground or powdered coal” as defined by ASTM C 618. A pozzolan, as defined by ASTM, reacts chemically with calcium hydroxide produced by the hydration of portland cement to form additional cementitious compounds. ASHCRETE Class F fly ash significantly increases the ability of concrete to resist attack from sulfates in soil or ground water. Additionally, Class F fly ash has been proven through extensive research and field experience to be highly effective in mitigating the deleterious effects of expansive alkali-silica reactions (ASR) in concrete. It is produced from the combustion of pulverized bituminous coal.
When correctly proportioned, concrete which contains fly ash can have equivalent or greater 28-day compressive strengths when compared to Ordinary Portland Cement Concrete. Due to the pozzolanic reaction fly ash concrete will continue to gain strength beyond 28 days exceeding that of Ordinary Portland Cement Concrete.
(The above is as confirmed by our own United States Bureau of Reclamation, within the US Department of the Interior, as we previously reported in:
US Government Coal Ash Cement Stronger than Portland Cement | Research & Development; concerning:
"United States Patent 4,256,504 - Fly Ash-based Cement; 1981; Assignee: The United States of America (as represented by the Secretary of the Interior); Abstract: A cement composition comprising a high calcium-content fly ash and calcium sulfate, and mortar and concrete compositions containing the cement";
wherein a close read of the full Disclosure reveals that Coal Fly Ash-based cement concrete is, indeed, stronger than "Ordinary Portland Cement Concrete".)
ASHCRETE Class F fly ash can be used as a pozzolan in virtually any concrete application. When correctly proportioned Class F fly ash will add many benefits such as increased strength, increased durability and
reduced permeability. Class F fly ash is particularly beneficial in high performance concrete applications where high compressive strengths are required or where severe exposure conditions demand highly durable concrete. Class F fly ash is also very effective at mitigating problems associated with alkali-silica reactions. In mass concrete placements where low heats of hydration are required ASHCRETE class F fly ash is very advantageous in controlling temperature rise.
UltraPozz is a highly reactive, classified ultra-fine class F fly ash pozzolan which improves workability & strength & further reduces permeability to a greater extent of a properly designed & compacted concrete mix. The tests have proven that Ultrapozz can produce highly durable & comparable strength concrete that can only be achieved with the incorporation of high silica content Microsilica or Rice Husk Ash class
super pozzolans.
Concretes exposed to highly hostile environments like marine constructions (sea piers, docs, jetties & bridges) & aggressive soils, sewage, corrosive chemicals (drains, chemical plants, highways, airport
runways) & acid rains are highly vulnerable to chloride ion ingress & sulfate attacks. Ultrapozz contains quite high percentage of Alumina which suppresses chloride ions in concrete. Further with Ultrapozz unique
fine particle distribution & high reactivity, it is possible to design highly impermeable concrete highly suitable for these aggressive environments."
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Now, speaking of "aggressive environments", we miners and users of Coal in United States Coal Country have been living and working in one, created by for us by a number of entities whose motives and intents must now be held suspect, for a long, long time.
It's far, far past time we stopped cringing in our corner, trying to cover up against the blows, and came out swinging.
In the case of Coal Ash, we have at least a few among our number who're trying to do just that, as seen in:
"PARKERSBURG - A U.S. Senate bill to prevent coal ash being classified a hazardous waste by the Environmental Protection Agency mirrors the House Resolution 2273 Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va., said he introduced earlier this year. McKinley thanked Sens. Jay D. Rockefeller and Joe Manchin, West Virginia Democrats, for supporting and introducing the Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act of 2011 in the Senate. HR 2273 passed the House 267-144.
'This coal ash bill is a jobs bill and a public health bill that has received bipartisan support in both the House and Senate,' McKinley said.
Coal ash is a residue of combustion at coal-firing power plants. It is used in construction materials, such as dry wall and concrete block."
But, sadly, some significant others seem to oppose such a logical, profitable approach, as seen in:
White House blasts Rep. McKinley’s coal ash bill « Coal Tattoo; wherein "the White House said:
"The Administration opposes H.R. 2273, as reported by Committee, which is insufficient to address the risks associated with coal ash disposal and management, and undermines the Federal government’s ability to ensure that requirements for management and disposal of coal combustion residuals are protective of human health and the environment.
The 2008 failure of a coal ash impoundment in Kingston, Tennessee, which spilled more than five million cubic yards of coal ash and will require approximately $1.2 billion for clean-up, is a stark reminder of the need for safe disposal and management of coal ash to protect public health and the environment. The Administration has assessed structural stability at active coal ash impoundments and has identified 49 units in 12 states as having a “high hazard potential” rating should they fail.
(The point is, that: By classifying Coal Ash as a hazardous waste, we would preclude ourselves from being able to do constructive things with it; and, almost perversely, we wouldn't be able to do anything but put it into "coal ash impoundments".)
The Administration supports the development, implementation, and enforcement of appropriate standards for facilities managing coal ash, while encouraging the beneficial use of this economically important material. Any approach to managing coal ash would need to include: (1) clear requirements that address the risks associated with the coal ash disposal and management; (2) consideration of the best science and data available; (3) adequate evaluation of structural integrity; (4) protective solutions for existing as well as new facilities; and (5) appropriate public information and comment.
Because H.R. 2273 is deficient in these areas and would replace existing authorities with inadequate and inappropriate minimum requirements, the Administration opposes the bill."
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Well, they at least acknowledge that Coal Ash is an "economically important material" that can have some "beneficial use"; but, they seem intent on making such "beneficial use" impossible by stipulating vaporous requirements like "protective solutions for existing as well as new facilities".
"Protective solutions" for what? If we're utilizing Coal Ash in the manufacture of concrete, just how much more"protective" can that be? And, if by "protective solutions" they mean "solutions" to be applied to places like the "coal ash impoundment in Kingston, Tennessee", wouldn't the best "solution" be to promote the utilization of Coal Ash in things like "construction materials, such as dry wall and concrete block", so that we wouldn't have as many "coal ash impoundment’s” lying about that we would have to worry over?
It's far, far past time every public journal in United States Coal Country, and not just, as above, the Parkersburg (WV) Sentinel, situated as it is in Wood County, WV, where, we don't believe, they mine any Coal, picked up the news and let everyone know, that, one of WV's courageous US congressional representatives and WV's two commendable US Senators are standing up to the negativists, and trying to do something as common-sense and practical as they are doing, as above, in India.
And, maybe we, too, like India, could someday start selling bits and pieces of old King Coal's feces to such well-moneyed places, who seem to want to spend money to buy such Coal Utilization Byproducts, like, as above, "Dubai", the "United Arab Emirates", and "Saudi Arabia".