Self-Cementitious Hydration of Circulating Fluidized Bed Combustion Fly Ash

Abstract

Fly ash from a circulating fluidized bed combustion boiler (CFBC fly ash) is very different in mineralogical composition, chemical composition, and morphology from coal ash from traditional pulverized fuel firing because of many differences in their combustion processes. The main minerals of CFBC fly ash are lime and anhydrous gypsum; however, due to the fuel type, the strength development of CFBC fly ash is affected by minor components of active SiO 2 and Al 2 O 3 . The initial hydration product of the circulating fluidized bed combustion fly ash (B CFBC ash) using petro coke as a fuel is Portlandite which becomes gypsum after 7 days. Due to the structural features of the portlandite and gypsum, the self-cementitious strength of B CFBC ash was low. While the hydration products of the circulating fluidized bed combustion fly ash (A CFBC ash) using bituminous coal as a fuel were initially portlandite and ettringite, after 7 days the hydration products were gypsum and C-S-H. Due to the structural features of ettringite and C-S-H, A CFBC ash showed a certain degree of self-cementitious strength.