Cement

Portland Cement
Manufacture

Raw materials: Calcareous materials such as limestone or chalk

Argillaceous materials such as shale or clay.
Process: Wet and dry process
1. Grinding the raw materials.
2. Mixing the raw materials in certain proportions depending on their purity and
composition.
3. After mixing burning the raw material in kiln at a temperature of 1300 to 1500
degree Celsius.
4. The material sinters and partially fuses to form nodular shaped clinker.
5. The clinker is cooled to and ground to fine powder with addition of 3 to 5% of
gypsum
Note: Sintering- a high temp. process for fusing powder together.

Model of cement factory

Dry and Wet Process:

Wet Process remained popular for many years because of mixing of raw materials.
Dry process requires less fuel as compared to wet, as they are using compressed air
for mixing the raw materials.
In Wet process the slurry contain 35 to 40% of water.

Chemical Composition of Cement

Raw materials used are lime, silica, alumina and iron oxide.
These oxides interact with one another in the kiln at higher temperature to form
more complex compounds.
In addition to four major compounds, there are many minor compounds formed in
the kiln.
Two of the minor oxides namely K20 and Na20 referred to as alkalies in cement are
of some importance.
Tricalcium Silicate and dicalcium silicate are the most important compounds
responsible for strength. Together they constitute about 70 to 80% of cement.
An increase in the lime content beyond certain values makes it difficult to combine
with other compounds.
An increase in silica content will make the cement difficult to fuse and form clinker.
Cement with high total alumina and high ferric oxide content is favorable for the
production of high early strengths.

Hydration of Cement: Binding with coarse and fine aggregate, only after mixing
with water it acquires the adhesive properties.
Heat of Hydration: The reaction of cement with water is exothermic. The reaction
liberates a considerable amount of heat. This liberation of heat is called heat of
hydration. The initial heat evolution ceases quickly when the solubility of aluminate
is depressed by gypsum. Fineness of cement also influences the amount of heat.
Calcium Silicate Hydrates: C3S readily reacts with water and produces more heat
of hydration. It is responsible for early strength in concrete. Good for cold weather
concreting. C2S hydrates rather slowly. It is responsible for later strength concrete.
Calcium hydroxide: The other products of hydration of C3S and C2S is calcium
hydroxide. The lack of durability in concrete is due to the presence of calcium
hydroxide. It also causes deterioration of concrete. This is known as sulphate attack.
The use of blending materials such as fly ash, silica fume other pozzolanic matter
are steps to overcome the bad effect of calcium hydroxide. As it is being alkaline in
nature, it maintains pH value around 13 which resists corrosion of reinforcement.

Calcium Aluminium Hydrates: Amount of gypsum to be added in the cement.

Structure of hydrated cement
Transition Zone
Water requirements for hydration.

Types of Cement and Testing of Cement

Chemical composition
Fineness of grinding and oxide composition
Addition of additives to the clinkers.

Types of Cement
1.
a)
b)
c)
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Ordinary Portland Cement

Ordinary Portland Cement 33 grade
Ordinary Portland Cement 43 grade
Ordinary Portland Cement 53 grade
Rapid Hardening Cement
Extra Rapid Hardening Cement
Sulphate Resisting Cement
Portland Slag Cement
Quick Setting Cement
Super Sulphated Cement
Low Heat Cement
Portland Pozzolana cement

10. Air Entraining Agent

11. Coloured Cement: White Cement
12. Hydrophobic Cement
13. Masonary cement
14. Expansive Cement
15. Oil Well Cement
16. Readyset Cement
17. Concrete Sleeper grade cement
18. High Alumina cement
19. Very High Strength Concrete