Some prospects for the use of ash and slag wastes of coal power plants for production of building materials

Coal-fired thermal power plants (TPP) generate large amounts of ash and slag wastes (ASW), therefore ecological problems related to ASW storage and disposal for such power plants come to the fore. To obtain new data on ASW properties analysis of a number of ASW samples from ash dump No. 4 of Cherepet’ TPP was carried out as part of engineering surveys. The purpose of this study included determiantion of the ASW granulometrical and mineralogical composition, as well as their physical and chemical properties. During field works 4 ASW samples were taken from the surface layer of the ash dump plus one sample of ash froth for further laboratory analysis. Laboratory analysis enabled determination of the granulometrical, mineralogical and chemical composition of ASW. Assessment of the ASW corrosiveness toward various materials determined necessary limitations in utilization of ASW-based bulding materiasls in contact with steel and aluminum. The content of natural radionuclides of K40, Ra226, Th232 and man-made Cs137 in ASW was determined. The detected increased activity of Ra226 and Th232 necessitates additional studies of radon and thoron emissions from ASW. Microspheres recovered from ash froth during ASW utilization have special usage value