Coal Ash and Sewer Sludge to Lightweight Concrete Aggregate

United States Patent: 5342442

We've been sporadically documenting the fact that Coal power plant Fly Ash can actually be treated as a resource of great utility in the concrete and construction industries.

It can be utilized both as a raw material, replacing some of the limestone traditionally used, in the making of Portland-type cement itself; it can, after treating, be blended into Portland cement after the cement is made as an additional cementitious component; and, it can also be treated in various other ways for use simply as "aggregate", replacing some of the traditional sand and gravel which is added to the cement in order to make concrete.

USDOE Says CO2 is a 'Vast Natural Resource'

United States Patent: 4197421

Concerning atmospheric Carbon Dioxide, as it exists in the air around us all, an accomplished scientist in the employ of the United States Department of Energy, as confirmed by experts in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, says:

"A vast natural resource is readily available (which can provide) an alternate and extended supply of premium synthetic carbonaceous fuel for this country thus advancing the goal of energy self-sufficiency."

Standard Oil Co-Gasifies Coal & Carbon-Recycling Biomass

Gasification of carbonaceous solids

Not long ago, we again confirmed that the petroleum industry and, by extension, through issuance of a United States Patent confirming the technology, our own United States Government know full-well that, not only can Coal be converted, through the initial generation of synthesis gas, into hydrocarbons; but, so can, right along with Coal, sustainable and CO2-recycling botanical materials.

We believe our most recent dispatch documenting that fact is accessible on the West Virginia Coal Association's web site via the link:

Coal Ash Can Reduce Construction Costs

United States Patent: 5624491

We've begun to document the plain fact that the mineral residues resulting from our varied and productive uses of Coal represent a store of value that hasn't yet been widely recognized or acknowledged.

"Fly Ash", and the less-often mentioned "Bottom Ash", can be considered, for instance, as concentrated ores of various metal silicates from which the diluting "dross", i.e., Coal, has been removed; with the metals thus made more available for extraction.

More Dow Chemical Direct Coal Hydrogenation

United States Patent: 4172814

We've previously cited a number of Carbon conversion technologies that had been developed by Michigan's rather well-known Dow Chemical Company.

We made report of one Dow technology pertaining specifically to Coal liquefaction in:

DOW Chemical Liquefies Coal in 1978 | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent 4,102,775 - Conversion Process for Solid Hydrocarbonaceous Materials; 1978; Inventors: George Quarderer and Norman Moll; The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, MI; Abstract: Solid, hydrocarbonaceous materials, such as coal, are converted to valuable liquid and gaseous products by an efficient process comprising: (1) preparing a slurry from slurry oil, a hydrogenation catalyst and the hydrocarbonaceous material; (2) hydrogenating the hydrocarbonaceous material to liquid and gaseous hydrogenation products".