Utilization

Where are Coal Combustion Products Used?

    Ash Basics Company, Inc (ABC) can help you use Coal Combustion Products (CCPs) in many different ways to reduce operation and maintenance costs, conserve natural resources, and produce revenue.

    In today’s coal ash industry, the largest volume utilization of CCPs in the United States is the use of fly ash as a mineral admixture in ready mix concrete. Fly ash, like ancient volcanic ash, has pozzolanic properties when combined with a cementitious material like Portland Cement and water to produce a concrete product that has many benefits over a traditional mix design without fly ash. It is a cost savings to the concrete supplier as well, considering they can reduce the amount of cement they purchase. The use of fly ash in concrete accounts for approximately 30% of all CCP utilization in the U.S., with potential to grow if concrete suppliers would increase their fly ash percentage in any given mix design. Concrete related products such as ornamental objects, concrete highway barriers, storm drain boxes, and any other poured product make up another aspect of concrete usage, although fly ash use in these products is very limited. Another successful application for fly ash and bottom ash is the concrete block industry, which is second only to ready mix concrete in terms of CCP utilization. If you don’t require high strength concrete and you might want to dig or remove it later, then “flowable fill” may be the answer. It is a low strength slurry consisting generally of fly ash, water and Portland Cement which can be used in any project where access and compaction of conventional material like soil or stone are an issue, such as around buried pipe, under concrete building slabs, or as a fill material for erosion conditions. It may have design variations incorporating bottom ash and sand as well. The American Concrete Institute calls this product CLSM for “controlled low strength material”, and it has been gaining acceptance with contractors in all aspects of building and utility construction.

    ABC has the experience in all of these concrete products to assist the coal ash generator, product manufacturer, buyer, or end user in gaining benefit from this primary CCP utilization.
Environmental regulations are currently driving utilities to install different technologies to clean up the exhaust gas emissions from power plants. In doing so, they produce another CCP of significant volume, commonly called gypsum, FGD (flue gas desulphurization) material or scrubber sludge. This material is primarily utilized in the manufacture of wallboard, a very common construction material we have all heard of. It also has merit as a soil amendment for certain crops.  As more “scrubbers” are installed at power plants, this diversified product stream will continue to grow, comparable in volumes to that of fly ash production.   

    ABC is dedicated to finding new ways to utilize scrubber material, as it has distinct characteristics which may be of value in conjunction with other technologies currently on the table for marketing and production by ABC.

    While the CCP materials and applications mentioned above currently dominate utilization, ABC can also offer additional services relative to handling or movement of any associated material produced or used by any utility, and we desire to provide other product options for CCP utilization, which are innovative and offer many benefits to consumers. Some examples of these “other” products and services are hereby presented to illustrate ABC’s commitment to diversified marketing.

Technology Information

Technologies currently under contract and negotiations with Ash Basics Company, Inc.:

• BKF Shark Separation Equipment (http://bkfequipment.com/) – originally designed for quarries, this technology uses compressed air in water chambers to separate fine or coarse particles. It has been proven to be effective in separating coal particles from the mill reject stream discharged by power plants, as well as processing coal from deposits around coal piles and other station locations. This “rejected” coal has value as fuel when cleaned or segregated, which can be sold to companies using furnaces or boilers. ABC currently represents BKF Equipment as an exclusive marketer for this technology.

• Posi Shell (http://www.landfill.com) – is an erosion, dust and stabilization control product incorporating varying combinations of fly ash and, Portland Cement or lime as a binding agent.  This “slurry” is sprayed on any surface, forming a thin “shell” capable of protecting any product which needs to be contained. This product is currently being used on municipal sanitary waste landfills as intermediate cover protection against infiltration by birds, insects, weather and other elements. ABC thinks this product has numerous applications as an erosion control and containment product, with potential for large landfills of any type, as well as surface impoundments of any liquid. ABC is working as a representative of this technology with intentions of diversifying the product applications and potentially utilizing other CCPs.

• Flowable Fill – used in conjunction with Posi Shell spraying equipment, portable mixed or coordinated with concrete producers, this low strength concrete slurry is a simple material to produce, with applications only limited to the imagination. It is ABC’s desire to market this product under the name “ABC Mix” using fly ash or other CCPs for various projects.

• Cenospheres – are the finer, lightest particles of fly ash that float on the surface of ash basins, A Basic Cenosphere Company, as subsidiary to ABC, was formed to market this specialized material available at most power plants. ABC is currently under contract with Duke Energy Corporation to market this material to high end applications for electronics, special fillers, and other lightweight applications. One product of interest currently being made will be used in brake assemblies for NASCAR.

• Ceramic Products (http://eastgatematerials.com/product.html) – ABC has formed a partnership with East Gate Ventures to produce unique, aesthetically pleasing and functional ceramic products incorporating fly ash. An existing pilot facility has produced sample products such as ceramic roof tiles, bullet proof plates for armor vests, decorative sinks, slate and tiles for different household and commercial applications. ABC is currently awaiting design drawings and specifications to build a full scale manufacturing facility in the North Carolina region, which may be capable of producing many products originating from a molding process.

•  Synthetic Lumber (http://centuryboardusa.com/) – Century Board USA holds the patent on using fly ash to produce a synthetic lumber product. ABC is working with Century Board to produce a variety of lumber products that will not crack, shrink, rot, fade or erode due to insects or weather. These lightweight products can be used like conventional wood, with performance characteristics beyond other wood and plastic decking or other selective products like park benches and tables. This technology can produce over 73 different products due to it versatility as a molded process, and has far reaching capabilities in the wood substitute construction industry