Abstract: Ash produced by many coal-fired utilities has little or no commercial value as a cement additive or as a component in building materials because of its chemical or mineralogical composition. This condition is especially common with ash materials produced by Fluidized Bed Combustion boilers (FBC) or Circulating Fluidized Bed Combustion boilers (CFBC) fired with bituminous coal or waste coals (gob) reclaimed from inactive coal mine sites. The present invention describes a novel process that converts otherwise low-value materials such as bottom and fly ashes produced by a FBC or CFBC boilers, for example, into materials that have desirable physical, chemical and mineralogical compositions that can be used as a valuable cement additive or component in building materials. The novel process closely integrates the boiler (steam generator) that produces the ash with a new high-temperature process, such as a kiln.

Abstract: A process for extinguishments of underground coal seam fires employs the catalyst of heat generated by the underground fire to extinguish itself. A powdered limestone slurry provided in an aqueous mixture is injected from the surface in advance of the leading edge of the fire, such leading edge being previously detected, mapped and determined by the use of suitable technologies in order to guide the correct drilling of injection sites. The injection of a limestone slurry forms an underground “net” such that the heat of the coal fire, as it advances and comes into contact with the injected limestone plugs, expends energy in calcining the limestone, while also producing considerable amounts of carbon dioxide at the burning face of the fire, such carbon dioxide causing the self-extinguishment of such fires.

Abstract: The non-combustible natural minerals of fly ash, as a constituent of combustion of coal or other carbonaceous or cellulose fuels, are combined in an aqueous mixture with a man-made binder to form a thin paste which has adhesive qualities in the joining of masonry products such as cementitious blocks, clay bricks, or pozzolanic structural materials. The resultant bonding agent is intended to eliminate the need for visually obvious mortar seams, allow “dry stacking” of the building blocks, and usually will not contain any significant portion of either portland cement or sticky adhesives (as derived from petroleum products exhibiting Volatile Organic Compounds). In use, the material creates a “seamless” look to otherwise-conventional structural masonry walls.