Wall and floor tiles made from residual ash from thermal power plants

Industrial reuse of solid waste can reduce risks, lower costs, and create shared value

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A major challenge for coal and biomass thermal power plants is managing the massive volume of combustion-generated solid waste. This waste, which includes both fly and bottom ash, may contain heavy metals that pose serious risks to human health and the environment.

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Typically stored in waste ponds, this material is either sent to landfills at a cost or sold at very low prices to cement companies. In the United States, 91% of power plants that monitor groundwater have been found to contaminate it. Transforming this type of waste into glass-ceramic tiles for residential and industrial walls and floors is a way to give value to these materials while reducing environmental and health hazards.

 

...What challenges remain to be overcome?
Successful proof-of-concept trials have produced 100 cm² glass-ceramic tiles in the lab with higher mechanical strength than currently available materials and near-zero water absorption. The next steps include scaling up and validating the industrial production process, optimizing the formula, testing mechanical performance to meet regulations, and developing shapes, colors, and patterns for the market.

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...What hubz can deliver for you?

​Main innovation
Making it possible for coal and biomass thermal plants to neutralize the health and environmental hazards of their solid waste by turning it into revenue. The process transforms waste into glass-ceramic tiles for residential and industrial use, eliminating the cost of disposal. This strategy also offers significant shared financial benefits by removing the need for raw material mining and preparation in the ceramics industry, which can account for up to 20% of direct production costs.

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Applications and benefits

• Transforming waste into high-value-added glass-ceramic products

• Producing low-cost tiles for industrial and residential walls and floors

• Neutralizing solid waste from coal and biomass thermal plants

• Reducing health and environmental risks and impacts

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Technology readiness level
The goal is to reach TRL 8, with qualification in real-world settings, from the current TRL 4.