The objective of the project is to develop and demonstrate technology to make new products from coal combustion ash.  Specifically, the finest sizes ash fractions are recovered for use as a polymer filler or as a specialized high value cement additive.

Pulverized coal combustion produces 62 million tons of fly ash annually, of which about 32% is utilized beneficially.  Even if all of the current conventional applications were completely saturated, there still would be more than 1/3 left to landfill. To substantially improve beneficial use, and meet the U.S. DoE state long term goals, new applications and markets must be found. One of these with great potential is as filler for use in plastics.  For this however, the fly ash must be cleaned of residual carbon, magnetite and soluble salts, and the finest fraction of the ash separated and recovered.