There are many different forms of coal and due to this, it is possible for each type to be given its own use. Coal ash is formed from burning coal in power plants that are used in order to produce electricity and instead of throwing it in a toxic landfill, the material is used for various other purposes. Here is the lowdown on coal ash…

What is it?

Coal ash is material formed from burning coal and it includes a range of different by-products, such as:

  • Fly ash which is a fine powder that contains a high concentration of silica. It is made from burning coal in a boiler.
  • Bottom ash which is a coarse particle that is too big to carry into the smoke stacks and thus forms at the bottom of a coal furnace.
  • Boiler slag, which is a molten form of bottom ash. After it is cooled with water, it turns into pellets that have a glassy texture.
  • Flue gas desulfurization material, which is a material left over from the reduction of sulphur dioxide in a coal boiler. It can be a wet sludge type of material or a dry powdered material.

Why is coal ash reused?

Throwing away coal ash is not very wise as reusing it in different industries has a range of environmental and economic benefits. For example:

  • It can reduced the emissions of greenhouse gases, reduce the amount of disposal in landfills and prevent harmful effects on the environment.
  • The costs of coal ash disposal is reduced and a higher revenue can be gained from selling coal ash.
  • Coal ash has a range of industry benefits like improved strength and durability.

Although we don’t supply coal ash, we do have an exciting range of house coals and smokeless coals! For more information on the type of services we offer, get in contact with a member of the team at Pearson Fuels! After all, we are the best coal merchants around!