| Abstrakt: |
This paper aims to investigate the characteristics of the ash stored in external dumps of a Romanian energy power plant in order to identify some ways to reuse it as ceramic material. Laboratory tests have been carried out on the supplied ash samples in order to establish the physical characteristics (moisture, bulk density and grain size composition) and chemical composition, by X-Ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction, high temperature microscopy analysis. Chemical properties of ash samples reveal valuable oxides such as SiO2, Al2O3, CaO, Fe2O3, and other oxides, which vary as composition, density, texture, porosity and water absorption capacity, which are adequate in comparison with those of the ceramic raw materials usually used in the ceramic industry. In terms of basic physical characteristics, the ash can be assimilated to a natural sand aggregate of granular type, except for bulk density characterized by lower values. Also, preliminary measurements of radioactivity made by a gamma ray detector shows the existence of 226Rd and 232Th radionuclide, the irradiation on radiation protection being at a level, close but lower than of the health admitted norms. The present study helps to find out that chemical properties of ash samples reveal adequate characteristics in comparison with those of the raw materials usually used in the ceramic industry. The results show that vitrified ceramics can be developed from coal ash and provide the best conditions to obtain products with desirable properties suitable for construction sector [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
