Fly Ash Industry News More than 60 million tons of fly ash are generated every year by coal-burning plants and other industrial installations. Of this total, about 40 million tons are landfilled at significant cost to industry and consumers. Of the remaining 20 million tons, about 10 million tons are re-used in cement and concrete products, applications that yield the highest value for ash, provided that the levels of unburned carbon and ammonia in the ash are low.

Cement Americas will keep track of developments in the growing fly ash business as its connections to the cement and concrete industries increase daily.

ISG secures rights to ABC Cement process ISG Resources has entered into a licensing agreement with the inventors of a high early strength cement that provides ISG with exclusive rights to the technology.

The cement mix utilizes a large proportion of high-CaO fly ash as the primary binder together with other proprietary additives to achieve compressive strengths that can reach 3,000 to 4,000 psi within one hour and 8,000 to 9,000 psi in 24 hours, according to ISG.

ISG markets this cement under the product name of ABC Cement. A range of specialty building products will be manufactured using ABC Cement as a foundation ingredient. These include tiles, pavers, blocks, and patching compounds. According to ISG, these products can be made with a mix that captures the strength characteristics of ABC Cement, while containing 90% or more coal combustion products.

PMET, Hosokawa market low-carbon fly ash Pittsburgh Mineral & Environmental Technology (PMET) and Hosokawa Micron Powder Systems announced that they have entered into an agreement to commercialize PMET's newly developed process for producing low-carbon fly ash utilizing Hosowaka's particle sizing/classification equipment.

The agreement calls for PMET and Hosokawa to cooperatively market a complete technology and equipment package geared toward operators of coal-fired power plants, ash marketers, and concrete and cement producers.

The PMET process uses air-jet milling and simultaneous air classification equipment to reduce the carbon content of the ash and improve ash pozzolanity. The as-combusted ash is introduced into the jet mill where the carbon in preferentially ground by particle-to-particle impact in the lower portion of the mill. Concurrently, the ash is continuously subjected to a controlled-velocity, upwardly moving air stream that carries the lower-density, high-carbon ground fraction upwards through a rotating classifier wheel from which it is discharged from the upper portion of the unit. The desired carbon content of the low-carbon ash product is achieved by controlling air velocity, classifier rotational speed, and grinding time.

Clean air fact book available To help industries understand clean air regulatory compliance, United Air Specialists, manufacturer of air cleaning and dust collection systems, released its Clean Air Fact Book, available free. The 20-page booklet features practical guidelines for a cleaner, compliant workplace.

FINANCIAL NEWS SOUTHDOWN announced that it expects net earnings for the third quarter and the year to be slightly below present estimates. The earnings shortfall relates to an upward adjustment of the company's tax rate and a temporary excess inventory condition in the California market attributable to over-importation by domestic producers attempting to supplement sold-out regional capacity.

NEWSMAKERS Holnam Inc. announced that RODERICK D. GILLUM, vice president, corporate relations and diversity for General Motors Corp., has been elected to the company's board of directors.

Lafarge Corp. appointed ERIC OLSON senior vice president of planning and development. GUILLAUME roux, who held the position previously, was promoted to president of cement operations in Turkey for Lafarge S.A.