What is fly ash used for? Uncovering the green transformation path of industrial waste
In recent years, with the improvement of environmental awareness and the advancement of resource recycling, the value of fly ash, an industrial waste, has been gradually discovered. As a by-product of coal-fired power plants, fly ash was once considered an environmental burden, but now it has become an important resource in construction, agriculture, environmental protection and other fields. This article will combine the hot topics on the Internet in the past 10 days and use structured data to demonstrate the multi-field applications of fly ash.
1. Basic characteristics of fly ash

Fly ash is fine ash particles collected in the flue gas of coal-fired boilers. Its main components are silicon, aluminum, iron and other oxides. According to its chemical composition and physical properties, it can be divided into the following two categories:
| type | characteristic | Typical applications |
|---|---|---|
| Class F fly ash | High calcium, low fever loss | concrete admixture |
| Class C fly ash | Low calcium, high caloric loss | roadbed filling material |
2. Five core uses of fly ash
1.Building materials field
| Application scenarios | Technical advantages | Environmental benefits |
|---|---|---|
| concrete admixture | Improve durability and reduce heat of hydration | Reduce cement consumption by 30% |
| lightweight blocks | Reduce weight by 20%-30% | Each ton of clay bricks replaced saves 0.5 tons of standard coal |
2.agricultural improvement field
| Application direction | Mechanism of action | Implementation effect |
|---|---|---|
| soil conditioner | Adjust pH and increase porosity | Increase production by 8%-15% |
| Silicon Potassium Fertilizer Carrier | Sustained release of trace elements | Fertilizer utilization rate increased by 20% |
3.Environmental protection field
| governance project | Technical route | Processing efficiency |
|---|---|---|
| wastewater treatment | Adsorb heavy metal ions | Pb²⁺ removal rate>95% |
| Flue gas desulfurization | Alkaline substances neutralize SO₂ | Desulfurization rate 60%-80% |
4.Development of new materials
Recent research hot spots show that fly ash has made breakthroughs in the preparation of zeolite molecular sieves and geopolymers. A scientific research team used an adsorption material developed by modified fly ash to achieve a filtration efficiency of 92% for PM2.5.
5.energy recycling
The carbon content in fly ash is about 5%-15%, and clean coal can be recovered through flotation technology. The latest data shows that the energy recovery achieved through carbon extraction from fly ash across the country in 2023 is equivalent to 2 million tons of standard coal.
3. Market Prospects and Policy Support
| area | Utilization target | Subsidy policy |
|---|---|---|
| Yangtze River Delta | 85% by 2025 | Subsidy 30-50 yuan per ton |
| Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei | 90% by 2025 | Tax exemption + technical support |
4. Application challenges and solutions
Although fly ash is widely used, there are still problems such as the risk of heavy metal leaching and quality fluctuations. Industry experts recommend:
1. Establish a hierarchical utilization standard system
2. Promote pretreatment technology (such as microwave activation)
3. Develop high value-added products (such as nanosilica)
Conclusion:From "industrial waste" to "urban minerals", the magnificent transformation of fly ash confirms the huge potential of circular economy. With the advancement of the "dual carbon" strategy, it is expected that by 2030, my country's comprehensive utilization rate of fly ash will exceed 95%, creating a market value of over 100 billion. This transformation not only solves the problem of environmental governance, but also opens up a new path for resource regeneration.
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