WV Coal Member Meeting 2024 1240x200 1 1

Saudi Arabia Imports Coal Fly Ash

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:

USDOE Hydrogen from Sunlight and Water

United States Patent: 4476105

Since we've more recently been documenting the fact, as in, for just two examples:

California Rocket Scientists Liquefy Coal | Research & Development; concerning, in part:

"United States Patent 4,243,509 - Coal Hydrogenation; 1981; Rockwell International Corporation, CA;  Disclosure is made of a method and apparatus for reacting carbonaceous material such as pulverized coal with heated hydrogen to form hydrocarbon gases and liquids suitable for conversion to fuels"; and:

Algae Recycle More CO2 and Produce Butanol

United States Patent Application: 0110177571

We recently reported that our United States Department of Energy had developed strains of Algae, and associated Algae cultivation technologies, that would enable and provide for the direct biological conversion of Carbon Dioxide, as recovered from whatever handy source, into that darling of the Environmental and Agricultural special interest groups, Ethanol.

The report is accessible via:

USDOE Algae Recycle More CO2 and Produce Ethanol | Research & Development; and centers on:

"US Patent 7,973,214 - Designer Organisms for Photosynthetic Production of Ethanol from CO2 and Water;  July 5, 2011; Inventor: James Weifu Lee, TN; Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC, Oak Ridge".

Oklahoma & New Jersey Direct Hydrogenation of WV & PA Coal

United States Patent: 3960700

This will be a somewhat lengthy dispatch; but, the references we include document the sequential, methodical development of a Coal hydrogenation technology, intended to efficiently convert Coal into liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons, that seems to us so integrated that reporting on each individual component separately wouldn't do justice to the work.

First, we remind you that the use of elemental, molecular Hydrogen for the hydrogenation of Coal, to form hydrocarbon liquids and gases, affords both efficiencies in the process and a better mix of hydrocarbons thus produced.

Wyoming Converts More Coal Ash into Construction Aggregate

United States Patent: 6808562

In an earlier dispatch, now accessible on the West Virginia Coal Association's web site via the link:

Wyoming Converts Coal Ash to Construction Aggregates | Research & Development; concerning:

"United States Patent 6,334,895 - Producing Manufactured Materials from Coal Combustion Ash; 2002; Inventor: Alan Bland, Wyoming; Assignee: The University of Wyoming Research Corporation; Abstract: This invention discloses a system for cold bond processing of combustion ash which enhances various characteristics of the resulting cured consolidated combustion ash materials. Specifically, the invention relates to processing techniques which enhances both density and strength of the of the consolidated combustion ash materials. The invention also relates to processing techniques which control various chemical reactions which assure that certain types of minerals are formed in the proper amounts which results in a cured consolidated combustion ash material which has greater dimensional stability and enhanced resistance to degradation. Embodiments for both normal weight and light weight combustion ash aggregates are disclosed which meet various ASTM and AASHTO specifications";