Cenosphere Project at Coleman

The Coleman ash pond has been the site for a unique project to remove particles that can be used in many routine commercial products as well as for uniquely specialized applications such as in paint for fighter jets. The company WKE is working with in this project is Sphere Services.

Sphere Services Inc. was established in 1993 as a service company reclaiming cenospheres at coal fired utilities. Cenospheres are best described as a light weight ceramic sphere. The physical properties of cenospheres make them ideal for applications that require a light weight filler material. The chemical properties are primarily made up of Alumina and Silica.

Cenospheres are typically removed from settlement ponds where they float on the surface. Once removed from the pond the spheres are transported to a processing plant where they are cleaned, dried, sized, and packaged. Cenospheres are light grey to off white in color and are about five times smaller than a grain of table salt. Once the cenospheres have been processed the product is free flowing in nature. Having a specific gravity of 0.65-0.85 and a bulk density of 24-35 pounds per cubic foot make the spheres unique compared to other ground mined mineral fillers such as clay, calcium carbonate and many other minerals.

Cenospheres are used in the following markets:

• Building and Construction - products such as grouts, patching cement, and cement backer board.
• Ceramics - products such as fire brick, shot crete, and gunning mixes.
• Composites - polymer concrete, bowling balls, cultured marble, and syntactic foams.
• Paints and Coatings - hi-temp paints, protective coatings, and elastomeric coatings.

These are a just a few of the primary markets where cenospheres are utilized. Cenospheres are a true win-win for the client and the customer. It is a byproduct from the production of electricity and a raw feed for manufacturers. The use of cenospheres reduces the need for the use of mined natural materials. Another benefit is the reduction of transportation cost of the customers finished goods. The demand for cenospheres is growing thanks to the C2P2 program and quality of the material now being placed into the market place.