Suppliers of Cenospheres

A small proportion of the Fly Ash produced from the combustion of coal in power stations is formed as cenospheres. These are hollow, hard-shelled, ultra low-density spheres, which form unique free flowing powders. They also offer low water absorption and comprise of a range of particle sizes which can be graded by specialist companies into the following sizes: 5 - 85 microns, 100,150, 300 or 500 microns.

Applications for cenospheres include use as inert fillers. With a density lower than water (typically 0.7), cenospheres provide up to four times the bulking capacity of normal weight fillers, while their micro-spherical shape dramatically improves the rheology.

Typical markets include:

• lightweight fillers for the manufacture of plastics, GRP and paints
• production of ceramics and refractories due to their resistance to heat (>1300C) and acids.
• applications in the aerospace industry as they are light but extremely strong
• insulators due to their resistance to heat and their low coefficient of thermal conductivity, typically 0.09W/mK
• off shore sector

BMI has access to Cenospheres in many parts of the world – either through related companies or through its contracts
with power stations.