Recovery of Natural Nanostructured Minerals: Ferrospheres, Plerospheres, Cenospheres, and Carbonaceous Particles From Fly Ash

Abstract

Nanotechnology is playing an important role in every field of science, medicine, electronics, catalysis, and environmental cleanup. Due to the high demand of nanoparticles, it is synthesized at commercial level by chemical and physical methods, which are expensive and energy intensive. The recovery of natural nanoparticles from the waste materials makes the process cost-effective and simultaneously reduces pollution. Fly ash or coal fly ash (CFA), a by-product of thermal power plants in-houses numerous natural nanoparticles like ferrospheres, plerospheres, cenospheres, and carbon nanoparticles, which finds applications in ceramics, wastewater treatment, lightweight materials, fillers, and composite manufacturing. Every year a million tons of fly ash are produced around the globe. In the chapter, all these fly ash natural nanoparticles have been discussed in detail including their properties, applications, and possible future applications.