CHARACTERIZATION OF FLY-ASH FROM COAL-FIRED POWER-PLANTS

X-ray analysis shows that mullite and silica are the major crystalline phases in fly ash. The "method of known additions" from X-ray diffraction techniques was used to calculate changes in the significant peak intensities of mullite and silica to determine their weight fractions in fly ash. This furthers the efforts of characterizing fly ash, which are being conducted to supplement the search for applications of this abundant material. The weight fractions of crystalline mullite and silica were determined to be 14.2 and 5.1 wt%, respectively. Thermal gravimetric studies as well as SEM and particle size analysis were also conducted on the fly ash. © 1990 Chapman and Hall Ltd.