BALL MILLING OF AUSTRALIAN COAL - WASTE-FLY ASH TO REDUCE THE PARTICLE SIZE

Fly ash (FA) is a ‘waste' by-product produced in large amounts in coal thermal power stations to generate energy. Fly Ash consists of a wide range of rigid ceramic oxides as well some unburnt carbon. Fly ash properties are equal or better than the properties of other filler materials. FA is useful as a filler to improve mechanical properties of polymers, reduce the cost of product and to get lightweight composites. Work was undertaken to try the possibility of reducing the particle size and increasing the particle surface area of the Australian Fly Ash by using conventional ball milling. Increasing the particle surface area is very important; which gives better adhesion to other materials in order to make composites. As a result, a 10 hrs ball milling was done to reduce the particle size by approximately 50%. Using ball milling compared to as received raw fly ash generated a 4-times surface area. X-Ray Diffraction peaks of the ball-milled Fly Ash showed evidence of some line broadening, possibly due to residual stress caused by the grinding process. SEM shows irregular shaped of ball milled Fly Ash particles and also found reduction in size.