Optimization of surface modification parameters of fly ash with high calcium oxide (CaO) content to use as a filling material

Fly ash (FA) is the fine-grained waste product obtained by burning coal after being ground to specific sizes in thermal power plants, carried with flue gases, and kept in cyclones or electro-filters. Like every industrial waste, the possibilities of utilizing FA have been investigated, and it can be utilized as an additive in cement and concrete. Despite this, industrial waste, which increases daily in the world, brings many problems, especially environmental problems. For this reason, alternative usage areas of the waste in question are constantly being investigated. In this paper, FA containing approximately 50 % CaO from Afşin-Elbistan, Turkiye was processed with stearic acid in a planetary mill to be used as a filling material in industrial products, and it has a grain size of 68.10 μm on a d₅₀ basis, a specific surface area (SSA) of 176.40 m²/g and a contact angle of 13.89. An optimization and characterization study was conducted to make the hydrophilic surface structure hydrophobic by mechanochemical surface modification. Also, surface modification parameters, such as operational speed (rpm), ball filling ratio (%), FA filling ratio (%), pulp density, stearic acid dosage (% of FA), and modification time (min.) were optimized with the D-optimal experimental design. Based on the optimum surface modification parameters, a coated fly ash (CFA) product was obtained with an active ratio of 99.70 %, a contact angle of 95.06^o, a medium size (d₅₀) size of 10.60 μm, and an SSA of 926.90 m²/g.