A method of the invention for treatment of particulate material for metal recovery includes heating a furnace to a first temperature, feeding a particulate material into the furnace, and before or after heating of the raw material, feeding a reducing gas flow through the furnace. The particulate material is heated in the furnace for volatilizing one or more metals contained in the ash into the gas flow, and the volatilized particles are recovered in one or more collection units. A system for treatment of particulate material for metal recovery includes a heated furnace for receiving flows of reduction gas and particulate material, a collection unit for volatilized particles, and a collection unit for non-volatilized material.

Systems and methods for beneficiating a recovered fly ash material and/or recovering fly ash from an impound site are described. The method may include thermally treating a first portion of a recovered fly ash material to form a thermally treated fly ash having a first temperature of at least 1000° F., and contacting the thermally treated fly ash with a second portion of the recovered fly ash material to cool the thermally treated fly ash to a second temperature of less than or equal to 500° F. and form a fly ash product. The fly ash product may have a carbon content less than 8% by weight, based on the total dry weight of the fly ash product.

An apparatus for recycling fly ash has a quantum energy generator therein. The apparatus recycles fly ash generated as the combustion waste from the burning of coal in thermal power plants, into construction materials such as cement substitutes, environment-friendly cover materials, etc. Unburned pulverized coal is removed while generating carbon monoxide (CO) or carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) through a combustion reaction, in which the unburned pulverized coal of the fly ash contacts the thermal electrons discharged during a thermal decomposition process at a high temperature, the negative electrodes of the thermal decomposition part, which are heated at a high temperature of 500° C., which is an ignition point of the unburned pulverized coal, or higher, and a high-voltage discharge electrode of an electrochemical reaction part, then heated at 500° C. or higher, and then naturally burned under an oxygen atmosphere (oxygen or ionized oxygen ions in air contained in the fly ash).

Systems and methods for beneficiating a recovered fly ash material and/or recovering fly ash from an impound site are described. The method may include thermally treating a first portion of a recovered fly ash material to form a thermally treated fly ash having a first temperature of at least 1000° F., and contacting the thermally treated fly ash with a second portion of the recovered fly ash material to cool the thermally treated fly ash to a second temperature of less than or equal to 500° F. and form a fly ash product. The fly ash product may have a carbon content less than 8% by weight, based on the total dry weight of the fly ash product.

A combustion ash handling method of handling combustion ash discharged from a combustion furnace that combusts a petroleum-based fuel includes: separating the combustion ash into a heavy component and a light component by a dry-type separation technique; feeding the light component to the combustion furnace as a fuel; and recovering the heavy component. A metal such as vanadium is separated and extracted from the heavy component of the combustion ash.

Described herein is an apparatus (10), system (300) and method for pyrolysing and combusting a material. One described embodiment provides an apparatus (10) comprising one or more crucibles (50, 51) for receiving a material to be pyrolysed and combusted therein and one or more heating tubes (100-210) disposed in proximity to the crucible(s) (50, 51). The or each heating tube (100-210) is configured for receiving byproduct(s) produced during pyrolysis and combustion of the material within the crucible(s) (50, 51) and pyrolising and combusting the byproduct(s) to produce flue gas from the byproduct(s). The flue gas produced within the heating tube(s) (100-210) are mixed with a hydroxy gas.

A ponded ash beneficiation system and related methods treat either landfilled or ponded waste coal fly ash by removing at least 75% of the carbon from a collected quantity of such waste coal fly ash. Analysis and testing of the collected waste coal fly ash to determine optimal air balance, indirect heat temperature and retention time. Subjecting a stream of such waste coal fly ash to temperatures ranging from 900° F. and 1150° F. along with air addition calibrated as a function of the LOI of the carbon in such waste coal fly ash. This stream is exposed to the foregoing range of temperatures and corresponding air addition for a range of time between 20 minutes and 90 minutes, in certain aspects of the disclosure. A system for beneficiating landfilled or ponded waste coal fly ash makes use of a carbon reduction kiln comprising multiple independent heat zones so that the waste coal fly ash is preferably exposed to indirect heat when received in such zones.

In the case of mono sewage sludge incineration, a solution may be created that enables sewage sludge ash, which may still have a low proportion of unburned carbon, to be discharged from a mono sewage sludge incineration plant. This is achieved by a method for the post-combustion of sewage sludge ash obtained in a mono sewage sludge incineration in a rotary kiln by means of a hot and a low oxygen content, such as an oxygen content of 5-10 vol. % oxygen. The gas stream from the rotary kiln may escape the sewage sludge ash and is fed to the gas flow. This sufficiently hot gas flow may cause oxidation or afterburning of unburned carbon contained in the sewage sludge ash.

Systems and methods for beneficiating a recovered fly ash material and/or recovering fly ash from an impound site are described. The method may include thermally treating a first portion of a recovered fly ash material to form a thermally treated fly ash having a first temperature of at least 1000 F., and contacting the thermally treated fly ash with a second portion of the recovered fly ash material to cool the thermally treated fly ash to a second temperature of less than or equal to 500 F. and form a fly ash product. The fly ash product may have a carbon content less than 8% by weight, based on the total dry weight of the fly ash product.

An apparatus for recycling fly ash has a quantum energy generator therein. The apparatus recycles fly ash generated as the combustion waste from the burning of coal in thermal power plants, into construction materials such as cement substitutes, environment-friendly cover materials, etc. Unburned pulverized coal is removed while generating carbon monoxide (CO) or carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) through a combustion reaction, in which the unburned pulverized coal of the fly ash contacts the thermal electrons discharged during a thermal decomposition process at a high temperature, the negative electrodes of the thermal decomposition part, which are heated at a high temperature of 500 C., which is an ignition point of the unburned pulverized coal, or higher, and a high-voltage discharge electrode of an electrochemical reaction part, then heated at 500 C. or higher, and then naturally burned under an oxygen atmosphere (oxygen or ionized oxygen ions in air contained in the fly ash).