Volume 11 Issue 4 ( December 2024)

Fly ash (FA) and bottom ash (BA) produced by coal combustion have environmental impacts. Besides its well-known use in construction and civil engineering, FABA can also be used as a substance for wastewater treatment (WWT). However, the characteristics of FABA depend on the coal source, combustion condition, and flue gas treatment. The qualities of a given utilization of FABA are better determined by standards based on research that later needs to be agreed upon by the stakeholders. This study aims to give a preliminary compilation of significant parameters for standards provision, especially for WWT. Standard parameters were considered from published peerreviewed articles, a partial of the FACTS (Framework of Analysis Comparison and Testing of Standards) method. The study finds vital criteria for utilizing FABA in wastewater treatment, including unburnt carbon or loss of ignition (LOI), density/specific gravity, particle size, porosity, specific surface area, water holding capacity, CaO, and cenosphere content. A new work item for standard development is required due to the differences in parameters compared to the well-known and widely cited standard. Additional research is required to establish standardization of the parameters. The availability of standards supports the widespread utilization of FABA, especially for WWT.

Keywords: fly ash; bottom ash; coal; FABA standard; wastewater treatment; FACTS method