Cement Production

Portland Cement
By definition a hydraulic cement produced by pulverizing clinker consisting essentially of hydraulic calcium silicates, usually containing one or more of the forms of calcium sulfate as an interground addition

Source: PCA, 2003

Raw Materials Necessary for Portland Cement Manufacture Must Provide the Following
Calcium Silica Alumina Iron

Calcium
Alkali waste Aragonite Calcite Cement-kiln dust Cement rock Chalk Clay Fullers earth Limestone Marble Marl Seashells Shale Slag

Iron
Blast-furnace flue dust Clay Iron ore Mill scale Ore washings Pyrite cinders Shale

Silica
Calcium silicate Cement rock Clay Fly ash Fullers earth Limestone Loess Marl Ore washings Quartzite Rice-hull ash Sand Sandstone Shale Slag Traprock

Alumina
Aluminum-ore refuse Bauxite Cement rock Clay Copper slag Fly ash Fullers earth Granodiorite Limestone Loess Ore washings Shale Slag Staurolite

Sulfate
Anhydrite Calcium sulfate Gypsum

Source: PCA, 2003

Traditional Manufacture of Portland Cement

Source: PCA, 2003

1. Stone is first reduced to 125 mm (5 in.) size, then to 20 mm (3/4 in.), and stored.

2. Raw materials are ground to powder and blended.

or

Source: PCA, 2003

2. Raw materials are ground, mixed with water to form slurry, and blended.

3. Burning changes raw mix chemically into cement clinker.

Source: PCA, 2003

Source: Mindess, Young, and Darwin, 2004

Source: Mindess, Young, & Darwin, 2004

3. Burning changes raw mix chemically into clinker. Note four stage preheater, flash furnaces, and shorter kiln.

Source: PCA, 2003

PyroProcessing

Source: PCA, 2003

4. Clinker is ground with gypsum into portland cement and shipped.

Source: PCA, 2003

Clinker

Gypsum

Source: PCA, 2003

Grinding
Clinker is ground with gypsum (calcium sulfate) to produce portland cement Fine grinding is necessary for high early strength
85-95% -325 mesh (45 microns) ~ 7 trillion particles per pound

Gypsum absorbs water and prevents setting of C3A during shipment

Source: van Oss and Padovani, 2002

Process of Clinker Production

Source: PCA, 2003

Source: PCA, 2003

Source: PCA, 2003

Source: Taylor, 1997

Source: MacLaren and White, 2003

Source: MacLaren and White, 2003

Clinker Phases
Alite or 3CaOSiO2 or C3S
Hydrates & hardens quickly High early strength Higher heat of hydration (setting)

Belite or 2CaO SiO2 or C2S

Hydrates & hardens slower than alite Gives off less heat High late strength (> 7 days)

Modern cements are manufactured to be higher in alite for early strength

Clinker Phases
Aluminate or 3CaO Al2O3 or C3A
Very high heat of hydration Some contribution to early strength Low C3A for sulfate resistance

Ferrite or 4CaO Al2O3 Fe2O3 or C4AF

Little contribution to strength Lowers clinkering temperature Controls the color of cement

Microscopic Images of Clinker

Microscopic Images of Clinker

Alite

Microscopic Images of Clinker

Belite

Microscopic Images of Clinker

Aluminate

Microscopic Images of Clinker

Ferrite

Types of Portland Cement

ASTM C 150 (AASHTO M 85)
I II III IV V Normal Moderate sulfate resistance High early strength Low heat of hydration High sulfate resistance

Source: Mindess, Young, and Darwin, 2004

Source: Mindess, Young, and Darwin, 2004

Source: Mindess, Young, and Darwin, 2004

Source: Mindess, Young, and Darwin, 2004