VALUABLE PRODUCTS FROM COAL BURNING WASTES

COAL COMBUSTION FLUE GAS THAT IS DESULFURIZED WITH LIME OR LIMESTONE RESULTS IN 30-35 MILLION TONS PER YEAR OF GYPSUM- LIKE WASTE. THIS PRESENTS A DISPOSAL PROBLEM WHICH COULD BEELIMINATED BY THE CONVERSION INTO MARKETABLE COMMODITIES. SCIENCE VENTURES HAS BEEN EXPERIMENTING WITH A NEW HIGHSPEEDCHEMICAL PROCESS TO SOLVE A RELATED ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM. THEIR FLASK PROCESS RECOVERS SULFUR VALUES FROM PHOSPOSGYPSUM FOR RECYCLE TO THE WET PHOSPHORIC ACID PROCESSSYNTHETIC AGGREGATE FOR CONCRETE IS PRODUCED. THE PROPOSED PROCESS WOULD USE SIMILAR ENTRAINED, SLAGGING, MILDLY REDUCING CONDITIONS AND EQUIPMENT TO PRODUCE CEMENT AND SULFURIC ACID FOR SALE. SOME OF THE COAL ASH WOULD ALSOBE CONSUMED THIS WAY. VERY FAST CONVERSION RAES OF THESE PROCESSES PROMISE REDUCED CAPITAL COSTS PER UNIT OF PRODUCTS. IN ADDITION, FRESH FGD WASTE REQUIRES SUBSTANTIALLY LESS FUEL THAN DO NATURAL OR OTHER BYPRODUCT GYPSUMS. PHASE I CRUCIBLE TESTS WILL PROVE CEMENT QUALITY, AND TEST THE PRACTICALITY OF ENTRAINED SLAGGING EQUIPMENT. IF RESULTS ARE POSITIVE, PHASE II CAN PROGRESS RAPIDLY USING EXISTING BENCH SCALE APPARATUS.