FLY ASH

Fly Ash is generated as a by-product of coal-based thermal power plant. It is a fine inorganic powder resulting from the
combustion of pulverized coal - transported by the flue gas of the boiler and collected in the Electrostatic Precipitators (ESP).

Chemical Composition

 The major constituents in fly ash are Silica (SiO2), Alumina (Al2O3), Ferric oxide (Fe2O3) & Calcium oxide (CaO). The minor
constituents are MgO, Na 2O, K2O, SO3, MnO, TiO2 and Unburnt carbon.

 When the sum of Silica, Alumina & Ferric oxide is 70% or more and reactive calcium oxide is less than 10% - technically the fly
ash is considered as siliceous fly ash or class F fly ash and possesses pozzolanic properties.

 If the sum of these three constituent is equal or more than 50% and reactive calcium oxide is not less than 10%, fly ash will be
considered as Calcareous fly ash or class C fly ash and also pozzolanic properties.

Use of Fly Ash

 Cement & Concrete Preparation.

 Bricks & Tiles making.
 Reclamation of low lying areas.
 Back filling of underground and open cast mines.
 In agriculture as a soil modifier and source of micro and macro nutrients.

Fly Ash use in road filling

 Physical Properties

The fly ash particles are glassy, solid and spherical in shape. The fineness of individual fly ash particle ranges from 1 micron to 1 mm
size. +45 micron size& Bulk density are the basic requirement of Fly Ash utilization.

Bulk Density

Fly Ash Sample collected from indivisual ESP field and dried in air
oven for one hour at 100 0C temp. Then cool it to room temp. &
measure Bulk Density as per standard method IS 15289 (Part-1)
:2013.

+45 Micron Retention

Wet sieving is done through 45 micron sieve and the

percentage of retention on it is calculated as per
ASTM C 786-96(2003).
Fly Ash Bulk Density & +45 micron retention analysed from individual ESP field of Unit#20 with different Coal blending ratio.

U#20 Fly Ash Report (Eco:Mel ::70:30) U#20 Fly Ash Report (SA:Eco ::70:30)

38.24 36.17
+45 micron retention %
+45 micron retention %

Bulk Density
Bulk Density

14.3

7.37 5.43
6.47 5.82 3.28
3.64 1.39 1.16 0.74
1.31 0.66 1.11 1
1.1 0.95 0.36 0.98 1.03 0.98
1
0.93 field-1 field-2 field-3 field-4 field-5 field-6
field-1 field-2 field-3 field-4 field-5 field-6

 + 45 micron particle are high in first field and is coming down towards higher field.
 As the + 45 micron is high, BD also high in first field and then in decreasing order.
 Average BD and +45 micron particle size are in normal range.
Keeping in mind the use of fly ash in different sectors, +45 micron particle retention from individual ESP fields and Ash Silo were tested.

Field wise Fly Ash 45 micron Retention Report

Experiment:-

Unit#50 Unit#40 Unit#30 Unit#20  Fly Ash samples were collected

from individual ESP fields
30
(Field 1 to Field 6) from all
running units while Coal blend
25 ratio was Eco: Melawan ::
80:20.
20  After sampling Wet Sieving
through 45 micron sieve was
performed in Laboratory
15
condition.

Inference:-
10
 In Field-1, the +45 micron
retention is > 20% in all Units.
5
 In Field-2 to 6, the +45 micron
retention is below 10%.
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Fly ash Field :-

 Silo Fly Ash 45 micron Retention Report Experiment:-

Silo-1 Silo-2  Fly Ash sample collected

30 from individual Silo.
 Note: - ESP Field-1 & 2 Fly
25 ash stored in Silo-1 and
other ESP fields Ash
20
stored in Silo-2.
15 Inference:-

10  In Silo-1, the +45 micron

retention value is ≥20%.
5  In Silo-2, the +45 micron
retention value is < 15%.
0
25-Nov-13 27-Nov-13 28-Nov-13 29-Nov-13 30-Nov-13 1-Dec-13 2-Dec-13 3-Dec-13

Analysis reports are given below:-

Date:- 25-Nov 27-Nov 28-Nov 29-Nov 30-Nov 1-Dec 2-Dec 3-Dec

Location Unit#50 Unit#50 Unit#40 Unit#40 Unit#30 Unit#30 Unit#20 Unit#20
Fly ash field-1 24.6 26.51 22.8 22.4 18.8 20.2 20.76 23.51
Fly ash field-2 4.95 6.92 5.2 4.8 5.2 5.4 11.76 9.44
Fly ash field-3 1.52 4.22 2.8 2.2 2.4 2.8 6.16 4.58
Fly ash field-4 0.6 1.3 0.8 0.72 0.9 1.2 2.15 1.95
Fly ash field-5 0.28 0.51 0.6 0.38 0.78 0.8 0.96 1.12
Fly ash field-6 2.03 1.5 1.2 1.75 1.1 1 1.28 1.48
Silo-1 24.1 22.86 23.2 20.6 18.6 18.6 19.21 20.79
Silo-2 13.2 14.52 13.8 14.2 13.6 13.4 13.62 14.18
 Chemical Properties

To utilize fly ash, Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) has formulated IS: 3812 Part - 1 2003

Requirement As per IS: 3812 Part - 1

2003 CGPL Fly
Sl. No. Characteristic
Ash(Eco:Mel::70:30)
Siliceous fly ash Calcareous fly ash
(SiO2+Al2O3+Fe2O3) in
1 70 50 82
percent by mass, Min

2 Silicon dioxide in percent by mass, Min. 35 25 50

Magnesium Oxide (MgO),

3 5 5 4
in percent by mass, Max
Total sulfur as sulfur trioxide(SO3),
4 3 3 0.7
in percent by mass, Max.
Available alkalis as Sodium oxide
5 (Na2O), 1.5 1.5 1.2
percent by mass, Max.
Loss on Ignition, in percent by mass,
6 5 5 1.0
Max.

Particles retained on 45 micron IS

7 34 34 20
sieve

Note: - All the above parameter is in percentage.

CGPL Fly Ash, produced by Coal blending (Eco:Mel::70:30) meets all required parameter for utilisation in Cement Industry & other use.
 Bottom Ash
The coarse, granular & incombustible by-products that are collected from the bottom of Coal fired furnace are called Bottom Ash.

Bottom Ash may be in the form of ash or in the form of Slag which looks like rock.
Possible Reason of Slagging
 Slag formed when melt or soften ash particles is not cooled down to solid state when they reach the heat surface.
 Slagging will also occur when furnace exit gas temperatures exceed the fusion temperature of ash from the coal being fired.
 The minerals present in coal ash bring down the ash fusion temperature and at low temperature the ash melts and fuses and
causes slagging/clinker.
 So slagging is mainly due to the fuel used in the Boiler.

Some Coal & Slag Ash analysis report are given below.

Ash Analysis Report

Parameter Melawan Coal Eco Coal 30% Melawan+ 70% Eco Unit#10 Clinker Sample
SiO2 53.84 44.20 47.09 54.77
Al2O3 18.03 8.60 11.43 15.63
Fe2O3 10.24 24.10 19.94 15.62
CaO 5.19 9.40 8.14 6.51
MgO 2.94 6.90 5.71 3.01
TiO2 0.86 0.63 0.70 0.86
K2O 1.72 0.69 1.00 0.64
Na2O 1.45 0.18 0.56 0.71
P2O5 0.31 0.12 0.18 0.14
SO3 4.79 5.00 4.94 0.18
S (dry) 0.58 0.24 0.34 --
B/A Ratio 0.30 0.77 0.60 0.37
Silica % 75 52 58 69
Slagging Factor 0.51 3.22 1.75 --
 Melawan Coal Ash Analysis
 High SiO2 and low Fe2O3
3% SiO2 content give low B/A ratio.
5% Al2O3  Higher Silica% (i.e75%) makes
Fe2O3
it none slagging in nature.
CaO
10%  Slagging factor is 0.51, which
54% MgO
indicate no slagging property.
TiO2
 High Ash fusion temp. (~1200)
18% K2O
Na2O
make it non slagging nature.
P2O5
SO3

Eco Coal Ash Analysis

 Lower SiO2% & high Fe2O3%
give high B/A ratio. SiO2

 SiO2% value indicating 7% Al2O3

medium slagging nature. Fe2O3

9% CaO
 High slagging factor 44%
MgO
indicating high slagging
TiO2
property.
24% K2O
 Ash fusion temp. (~1130)
Na2O
indicating slagging nature. P2O5
9%
SO3
30% Melawan+ 70% Eco Ash Analysis 30% Melawan + 70% Eco Coal Ash
SiO2

6% Al2O3  It contains high Basic oxide

Fe2O3 then Acidic oxide, so higher
8% CaO B/A ratio.
47% MgO  B/A value is 0.60 indicating
TiO2 medium slagging nature.
K2O  58% silica percentage also says
20% Na2O high slagging property.
11% P2O5  Slagging factor 1.75 indicate
SO3
medium slagging.

Clinker sample
Unit#10 Clinker Sample Ash Analysis
3% SiO2  It is very hard and rocky type
6% Al2O3 material.
Fe2O3
 ≤ 1% unburnt carbon indicate
CaO
16% complete combustion.
MgO
56%  High silica and iron found.
TiO2

K2O
 The AFT-reducing of coal in use
16% Na2O is around 1150⁰C.
P2O5  Basically clinkers are fused fly
SO3 ash.