Phase transformations in fly ash-based solids

Abstract

The presented article describes the phase transformations in solid bodies based on fluid fly ash (FFA) over eight years from the initial to the final phases. FFA has been selected as a type of industrial waste whose amount has been growing in recent years. This type of ash has self-hardening properties when watered because of the conditions of its origin. The specific temperature of fluid burning and the addition of calcium carbonate into the burning zone create a mixture of phases which are, even when solidified, ready to form new crystal phases, especially alumina-silicates, relicts of coal clay minerals. For experiments, bricks from the mixture of FFA and quartz sand were industrially produced and left outside. Subsequent mineralogical analyses of samples of various ages confirmed differences in phase compositions. It is supposed that the main role in the presented changes is played by the content of the roentgen-amorphous part of alumina-silicates because they are likely to be transformed into a stable form of feldspar. In addition to that, this article presents the hypothesis of a moving agent, which could explain the transformations in the final bodies.