Effects of pulverized coal fly-ash addition as a wet-end filler in papermaking.

The article presents an experimental study on the use of pulverized coal fly ash as a wet end filler in papermaking. A major by-product of thermal power plants, large amounts of fly ash are dumped close to power plants which can cause environmental pollution specially when mixed to air, water, and soil over several hectares of land. According to the report, paper samples with fly ash were superior compared to kaolin clay which are commonly use as filler. It has a wide variation in particle size such as those from the burning of pulverized coal which has very fine particles and it acts as an inert material in papermaking process. The author states that this is the first evaluation of fly ash possible use in paper industry.