Unintended Consequences: Fly-Ash Shortage (Vanity)

6/15/2014 | BwanaNdege

[BwanaNdege]

For those you you not familiar with fly-ash, here is a bit of information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly_ash

"Fly ash, also known as flue-ash, is one of the residues generated in combustion, and comprises the fine particles that rise with the flue gases. Ash which does not rise is termed bottom ash. In an industrial context, fly ash usually refers to ash produced during combustion of coal. Fly ash is generally captured by electrostatic precipitators or other particle filtration equipment before the flue gases reach the chimneys of coal-fired power plants, and together with bottom ash removed from the bottom of the furnace is in this case jointly known as coal ash."

"In the US, fly ash is generally stored at coal power plants or placed in landfills. About 43% is recycled,[3] often used as a pozzolan to produce hydraulic cement or hydraulic plaster or a partial replacement for Portland cement in concrete production."

Obama's War on Coal has led to a shortage of fly ash which is used in Concrete to replace a portion of the Portland cement. Now in order to make the needed quantity of concrete, more Portland cement must be manufactured, producing even more CO2, to replace the missing Fly-Ash. Concrete made with Fly-Ash is generally better than that made without it.

"The Law of Unintended Consequences" once again bites the Progressives/Liberals/Eco-Freaks/Democrats.

[JRandomFreeper]

Typical liberal non-thinking. You can't expect them to actually know how things work.

/johnny

[afraidfortherepublic]

LOLOLOL! The idiots are running the asylum!

[Chode]

no coal, no coal ash... what a concept, prolly comes as a surprise to the RATS tooo

[FlingWingFlyer]

There is a lot to this. I’ve seen a highway project have to stop because a power plant wasn’t putting out enough fly ash quick enough.

[TigersEye]

Dirka dirka jihad! Aloha snackbar!!! Your destruction is coming.

[The Antiyuppie]

“Oh, come on. You didn’t really expect us to get our hands dirty with such details, right? This is something for low-level techs to figure out. They always do. We’ve been coasting, riding on the backs of these people our entire short lives”.

—Typical Obama Administration Policy Wonk

[The Antiyuppie]

The Chinese will marvel at our fantastic stupidity, with selling them coal, and then paying for the ash from it after it’s burned!

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

There is a large pile of fly ash not far from here. We used to set fence posts in it as it alone hardened up just like concrete.

[HangnJudge]

Whole bunch of it is here...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingston_Fossil_Plant_coal_fly_ash_slurry_spill

[familyop]

China Extracts Metallurgical Grade Aluminum Ore from Coal Ash
http://www.wvcoal.com/research-development/china-extracts-metallurgical-grade-aluminum-ore-from-coal-ash.html

[AzNASCARfan]

Concrete made with Fly-Ash is generally better than that made without it

Hmmm... Not sure about this in all cases, I am a structural drafter and seems like many times our general structural notes specify concrete without fly-ash... Not sure exactly why though. For some reason I thought it was a byproduct of steel mills, not from coal, but I must be thinking of something else. I do know years ago during the construction boom, we have been importing portland cement from Mexico and break results showed it was not equal and was very hard to get a good finish on the slab if the mexican cement was used too.

[BwanaNdege]

“...generally better...”

“All precast concrete producers can now use a group of materials called “fly ash” to improve the quality and durability of their products. Fly ash improves concrete’s workability, pumpability, cohesiveness, finish, ultimate strength, and durability as well as solves many problems experienced with concrete today–and all for less cost. Fly ash, however, must be used with care. Without adequate knowledge of its use and taking proper precautions, problems can result in mixing, setting time, strength development, and durability.”

http://precast.org/2010/05/using-fly-ash-in-concrete/

[jjotto]

I helped set up a coal-fueled industrial plant. The fly-ash was much desired for roads.

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pavement/recycling/fach02.cfm

[Rodamala]

If you are doing High Strength Concrete R&D, look for “Silica Fume”. I participated (and won) the regional ACI High Strength Concrete competition for my school years and years ago...

Aside from the a Coarse Aggregate and Fine Aggregate (sand) you want Silica Fume, and the most critical thing is a low Water/Cement ratio... which can only be accomplished by adding a Superplasticizer.

The Fly Ash/ Silica Fume component is included with the Portland Type II as Cement in the W/C ratio... and what it does is imparts a charge to the cement particles so when the water is added, the particles space themselves out in the matrix.

Look for your base strength to be 8ksi... anything more is bonus.

[IncPen]

Now in order to make the needed quantity of concrete, more Portland cement must be manufactured, producing even more CO2

C)2 is a known as a problem in Al Gore's religion, but the rest of us recognize it as food for plants.

[uglybiker]

Now in order to make the needed quantity of concrete, more Portland cement must be manufactured, producing even more CO2, to replace the missing Fly-Ash.

Oh, don't worry. They'll be coming after them next. My employer (a cement manufacturer) is already making plans.

[Rollee]

How I detest this shoddy excuse for a man!

[Chode]

well it may have come from the steel mills coal furnaces

[LibertyOh]

The Chinese (and the U.S.) also make drywall using fly-ash, so while U.S. drywall production from coal fired powerplant wastes goes down the price will go up - and the Chinese will make even more.

Yes - there are always unintended consequences - but this (less fly-ash available in the US, reliance on China increased as they have increased the number of Coal fired plants and thus fly ash tremendously) may actually be an intended consequence.