Cenospheres

Cenospheres, also named Microsphere, is a by-product created in fly ash during combustion of coal at thermal power plant. It's a light grey white color natural hollow ceramic microsphere made of mainly Alumina(Al2O3) and Silica(SiO2), with its inside few gas(mainly carbon dioxide and nitrogen). It is a micro power sphere, sizing from 1 microns to 500 microns. With our manufacturing and sizing equipments, we make it into sizes with fine particle distribution suitable for various industries. And at the same time, reduce the impurities to the least.

It is mainly used as fillers in refractories,cement,paint,rubbers,plastics,oilfield,gasfield,coating,building materials etc. As a byproduct, the reuse of cenospheres reduce harm to the environment and add value to the mineral product line.

How Cenospheres is Produced
Cenospheres is a by-product of coal combustion in thermal power plants. When pulverized coal is burned at high temperatures (around 1,400 - 1,600 °C), the in - organic minerals in the coal melt. The gases that are generated during combustion get trapped inside the molten material. As the molten droplets cool rapidly, they solidify into hollow, spherical particles, which are cenospheres. We select and wash quality cenospheres and make them into qualified industrial minerals.

In addition to coal - fired power plants, cenospheres can also be produced from other high - temperature industrial processes that involve the melting and rapid cooling of inorganic materials, but the coal - combustion route is the most common source.

Properties of Cenospheres

Spherical Shape: They are nearly perfect spheres. This shape allows for good flow characteristics, which is useful in applications like fillers in paints and plastics. The spherical particles can easily disperse and fill spaces, providing a more uniform distribution and better mechanical properties.
Chemical Inertness: Cenospheres is chemically inert in many common environments. It can resist reactions with acids, bases, and solvents to some extent. This property makes them suitable for use in a variety of chemical - containing systems such as chemical storage tanks (when used as a coating additive) or in corrosive - resistant composites.
Light Weight: It is a hollow microsphere with very lightweight. It's bulk density only about 0.35-0.45g/cm3, ideally used for fillers or additives.
High Hardness: Hardness of cenosphere is 6-7, a quite high standard in natural materials which makes it quite abrasion resistant.
High Strength: Its static compressive strength could be more than 70-140Mpa,resistant to high pressure.
High Spefic Area: It's a very small sphere with high specific areas. Size could be 1-400 microns. So it can be used in various applictaions without being milled into powder.
High Refractory Temperature: Its main chemical content is alumina(Al2O3) and silia(SiO2), both of which have very high refractory temperature. Cenosph has a refratory temperature of more than 1500℃.
Low Thermal Conductivity: It has thermal conductivity of only 0.08-0.1 at normal temperature, ideal for applications in thermal resistant products and building materials to reduce heat transfer.
Low Eletric Conductivity: Ideal to be used in products which requires electric insulation materials.

Applications of Cenospheres

Refractory and Heat Insulation Products: Cenospheres is used to make Light Weight Refractory Bricks, Pipeline Insulation Shells, Cast Insulation Risers, Fireproof Coating, Insulation Paste and Powders etc.
Lightweight Concrete: Cenospheres is used to make lightweight concrete. By adding them to the concrete mix, the weight of the concrete can be reduced by up to 30%. This is beneficial for structures where a lower dead load is desired, such as in high - rise buildings and long - span bridges. The reduced weight can lead to savings in structural support requirements and foundation costs.
Insulation Building Materials: Their low - thermal conductivity makes them useful for insulation purposes. They can be incorporated into insulating boards and plasters to enhance the energy - efficiency of buildings and reduce heat transfer through walls and roofs.
Paint and Coating: Cenospheres can improve the properties of paints and coatings. They increase the hiding power of paints, which means fewer coats are needed to achieve the same level of coverage. Additionally, they enhance abrasion resistance, making the painted surface more durable and less likely to scratch or wear off.
Polymer Composites: When added to polymers like plastics and rubbers, cenospheres reduce the density of the composite material. In the automotive and aerospace sectors, this is crucial for improving fuel efficiency. For example, in car parts such as dashboards and bumpers, the use of cenosphere - filled polymers can lead to significant weight savings without sacrificing mechanical strength and impact resistance. They also provide good electrical insulation properties when used in polymer - based electrical components.
Other Industries: It is also used in other industries like Oil and Petroleum, Fireglass Products, Packaging Materials, Aerospace Products which require heat insulation, light weight additive, electrical insulation etc.