Dr Obada Kayali -
Laying the foundations for a green industry
Dr Obada Kayali with Flash Bricks™
Dr Obada Kayali and Mr Karl Shaw of the University of New South Wales' Australian Defence Force Academy (UNSW@ADFA) have developed bricks and building aggregate that can be manufactured entirely from waste fly ash.
Coal-burning power plants spend millions of dollars disposing of waste fly ash, a fine powder loaded with toxic chemicals. An estimated 200 million tonnes of the byproduct is generated in China each year, much of it sent to waste disposal sites on increasingly scarce land and it is also responsible for serious air and water pollution.
The researchers say their unique manufacturing method traps the harmful chemicals, creating an eco-friendly construction material that saves on construction costs and reduces generation of greenhouse gases.
Flash Bricks™ are lighter and stronger than comparable clay bricks while the aggregate, Flashag™, can be used to make concrete that is lighter and stronger than standard products. This results in lighter structures, shallower foundations, cheaper transportation, and less usage of cement and steel reinforcement.
Flash Bricks™ also generate fewer emissions during manufacture as they take less time in the kiln to manufacture than clay bricks.
“Fly ash comes straight out of the power station and can be fed straight into the brick manufacturing process,” says Dr Kayali. “There is growing interest in China in reducing greenhouse gases, reducing chemical pollutants and dust emissions and stopping the alienation of the land. Flash Bricks™ and Flashag™ overcome many of these problems.”
The Fly Ash technology has two patents and licenses have been issued for the UK and US markets. NewSouth Innovations, the university's commercialisation arm, is seeking interest from companies wanting to develop the technology for China, Japan, Southeast Asia, Europe and India.