23Dec 2016 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Fly Ash for Concrete: Lowers Cost, Rids Waste and Aids the Environment

Chemistry, Technology
[caption id="attachment_15873" align="alignright" width="440"] Finding uses for waste products - Fly Ash[/caption] Fly ash for concrete? Most concrete is formulated from water, broken stone or gravel, sand, and cement—generally Portland cement. The formulation can include a small quantity of waste material. Fly ash is one such waste material. It offers three advantages. It reduces the need to dispose of some of earth’s abundant fly ash waste, it decreases cost, and decreases helps decrease damage to the environment. What is Fly Ash? Fly ash is the lightweight particulate carried along by flue gases produced from burning coal in boilers. It may be removed electrostatic precipitation. Although coal is mostly carbon, coal deposits are embedded in rock. Thus, inevitably, burning coal yields some silica (SiO2), alumina (Al₂2O3), and calcium oxide (CaO). Tragically,…
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14Mar 2016 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Cement Production Aggravates Carbon Dioxide Levels

Chemistry, Manufacturing
The greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, has been present in our atmosphere for thousands of years. Although plants consume CO2, the supply is excessive. To label some sources as natural and some as man-made is futile. Here we discuss how producing cement aggravates carbon dioxide levels. To Illustrate Much of mankind spends considerable time in temperatures around the 80 to 100 degree range. If that temperature increased by 30 to 40 degrees, health and welfare would be endangered. Some carbon dioxide is necessary for proper ecosystem function. But as carbon dioxide increases, the planet's welfare is called into question. So what represents the percentage carbon dioxide due to cement production? Limestone to Lime There are many materials containing a limestone (calcium carbonate, CaCO3). While this ingredient is used in producing cement,…
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