Hollow microspheres of fly ash — a multifunctional filler for composite materials

Hollow microspheres of fly ash are free flowing fine powders obtained from waste ash of thermal power plants. The use of microspheres as fillers for composites is determined by a successful combination of commercial and technological indicators — the availability of resources, their low cost, low density, high strength and chemical resistance. Microspheres are widely used as additives for production of lightweight concrete, oil-well cements, dry mixes, refractory materials, polymeric compounds. Modification of the surface of the microspheres can change their consumer properties significantly increasing the number of potential applications. Modified microspheres were used to produce a lightweight insulating construction material — spherical concrete, also spherical sorbents were synthesized that can be used for treatment of liquid radioactive wastes of various origins.

Author: L.D. Danilin, V.S. Drozhzhin, M.D. Kuvayev, S.A. Kulikov, N.V. Maksimova, V.I. Malinov, I.V. Pikulin, S.A. Redyushev, A.N. Khovrin

Section: Waste utilization

Keywords: lightweight filler, ash microspheres, monitoring, modification of surface, spheroconcrete, spherosorbents, ion-exchange compounds, radioactive wastes