Edaphic properties of fly ash from A coal-fired power plant at Kanpur, India

This paper deals with certain physico-chemical properties of fly ash collected from a coal-fired power plant at Kanpur (26° 26′ N latitude and 80° 22′ E longitude), India. Textural analysis reveals that a major fraction of fly ash mass (65%) is composed of silt-sized particles (0·02 to 0·002 mm). Sand-sized particles (2·0 to 0·02 mm) represented 25%, while clay-sized particles (<0·002 mm) represented only 10%. The bulk density and optimum moisture content of freshly collected fly ash samples were measured, being 1·02 g cm⁻³ and 2·1%, respectively. Water extracts from fly ash were alkaline and contained excessive amounts of soluble salts.

Samples of each fraction of fly ash (sand, silt and clay) were analysed for concentrations of four macro-elements (N, P, K and Ca) and four trace elements (B, Cu, Mn and Zn). Except for N, fly ash contained higher concentrations of all elements than normally found in soil.