CLE 513 Advanced Concrete

Technology
Cement Production

1824 Joseph Aspdin, while obtaining a patent for his

hydraulic cement, termed it as Portland cement, upon
Portland stone (limestone from Dorset, UK), which had
a high quality and durability and a similar appearance
ProtoPortland cement
Later, William Aspdin (son) MesoPort land cement

Aspdins creation

Kiln for burning

A Alite, or C3S
B Belite, or C2S

Hewlett, 2001

Portland Cement
An unusual industrial product produced in huge quantities in
special plants that can produce nothing else
The product is produced by a combination of unusual unit
operations involving mining, very fine scale blending of raw
materials, very high temperature clinkering reactions,
controlled cooling, grinding, blending, and finally shipping
under controlled conditions
Chemical composition is maintained within narrow limits
despite huge tonnages

Raw Materials for Cement

Calcareous material Containing CaCO3(primary
source limestone); impurities such as iron and
alumina are sometimes present
Argillaceous material Containing clayey matter,
source of SiO2, Al2O3
Gypsum Added in the final stages of manufacture as
a set regulator
Sometime, ground limestone is also added to cement

Mamloukand Zaniewski, 2000

Schematic depiction of process

www.ieagreen.org.uk/jan46.htm

Pulverization

Raw material feedstock should be

pulverized to the right size
Reduces overall power consumption
Better blending and burning possible
with reduced size of material

Blending of raw materials

Choice of blending process-Wet or dry

Wet process more uniform mixing
Dry process higher output, lower power
consumption
Dry process with pre calciners are the order of
the day

Blending Wet Vs. Dry

Blending Wet Vs. Dry
When moisture content of raw materials is > 15%, wet
blending (in slurry form) is preferred

When MC < 8%, dry blending is done

For 8% < MC < 15%, dry blending with precalciners
used
Wet blending better blend

Reactions in the kiln

The clinkering reactions involve conversion of
mixtures of calcium carbonate and silica and
alumina-bearing components to a mixture of special
crystalline components capable of reacting with
water to produce controlled setting and strength gain
The major components in clinker are impure but well
crystallized fine crystals of tri calcium silicate and di
calcium silicate

Kiln reactions (continued)

Minor but important crystalline components are

extremely fine crystals of tricalcium aluminate and
calcium aluminate ferrite solid solution (ferrite)
Of great importance despite minor amount
present are deposits of soluble crystalline
components (alkali sulfates and calcium alkali
sulfates) on the surfaces of clinkers

Kiln reactions -schematic

Mindess and Young, 1981

Hewlett, 2001

Up to 700 deg.C: activation of

silicates through removal of water
and changes in crystal structure
700 900 deg.C: decarbonation of
CaCO3, initial combination of A, F,
and activated silica with lime
900 1200 deg.C: Belite(C2S)
formation
> 1250 deg.C (more particularly, >
1300 deg.C): liquid phase appears
and promotes the reaction between
beliteand free lime to form alite
(C3S)
Cooling stage: molten phase
(containing C3A and C4AF) gets
transformed to a glass; if cooling is
slow, C3A crystallizes out (causes
setting problems), or alite converts
to beliteand free lime

Inter grinding with gypsum

Final step in cement manufacture

Gypsum added as a set regulator (absence flash
set)
Strict control on temperature required
Done in ball mills
Cement of required fineness produced

Quality control
Sampling and evaluation should be performed
after excavation from the quarry, before and
after blending the feedstock, after formation of
clinker, after inter grinding clinker with
gypsum, and finally before packaging in the
bags and drums

Quality control parameters

Parameters:
Lime saturation factor (LSF) = C/(2.8S + 1.2A +
0.65F), where C, S, A, and F are the % amounts
of CaO, SiO2, Al2O3, and Fe2O3, respectively.
Silica ratio (or modulus) = S/(A + F)Alumina ratio
(or modulus) = A/F
Potential C3S from Bogue formulation

The LSF is particularly important because it

dictates the amount of free lime that will be
present in the product. Too much free lime can
cause unsoundness of the cement.