CEMENT 19

Learning Objective
19.1 Explain introduction and rawmaterials for cement production.
19.2 Give main steps in cementproduction (crushing and grinding,strong heating and final grinding).
19.3 Explain OPC and PPC cement.
19.4 Explain Portland cement processwith flow-sheet diagram.
19.5 Explain cement Industry in Nepal.

Calcareous material Argillaceous

limestone material clay
Crusher Wash mill
Storage in silos Storage in basins

Wet grinding mill to make slurry

Blending of slurry to correct composition
Storage of corrected slurry
Powdered coal oil or gas Corrected slurry fed to rotary kila
Slurry in converted into Klinkers
Cooling of klinkers
Addition of 2% to 3% of gypsum
Klinker is ground into ball mill

Cement silos

Packing plant

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19.1 Introduction
Cement is the most important material for construction manufacturing.It is the binding material that is
obtained by burning at about 1300-1500°C of calcareous, siliceous, and argillaceous raw materials mixed
in definite proportion and crushing and grinding the resulting clinkers to a fine powder. Binding means it
has the effect of gluing the substances together due to cohesive and adhesive action and then hardens and
sets to become permanent. Cement is used to bind other materials together. Cement is a product obtained
by combiningmaterials rich in CaO and other materials such as clay which contain silica along with
oxides of aluminium, iron, and magnesium.The composition of metal oxides could be different in
different types of cements.The average composition of Portland cement is,
CaO(50-60%), SiO2(20-25%),Al2O3(5-10%),MgO(2-3%),Fe2O3 (1-2%),Na2O(1%),K2O(1%),
For good quality cement,the ratio of % of silica to alumina should be 2.5 to 4 and the ratio of % of lime
to sum of percentage of silica, alumina and ferric oxide should be 1.9 to 2.2.
19.2Raw materials for cement production
Raw materials are obtained directly from limestone and clay mines, minor constituents like magnesia,
sodium, potassium, sulphur, chlorine compounds, etc. may also be present in the raw materials up tothe
limited extent that does not harm processing and cement product. Typically, these raw materials are
obtained from open-face quarries, but underground mines or dredging operations are also used. Materials
that have been used include fly ash, mill scale, and metal smelting slags.
Basic raw materials to manufacture cement are:
i) Calcareous materials (which supply lime) e.g., limestone, cement rock (a soft argillaceous
limestone), chalk, clay/marl, or marine shales and,waste calcium carbonate from industrial process
ii) Argillaceous materials (which supply silica (SiO2), aluminates (Al2O3), and iron oxides
(Fe2O3)).e.g., clay, shale, ashes, blast furnace slag.
iii) Gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O).

Calcareous materials Argillaceous materials

Calcium Silicon Aluminum Iron

Limestone Clay Clay Clay

Marl Marl Shale Iron ore

Calcite Sand Fly ash Mill scale

Aragonite Shale Aluminum ore Shale

refuse

Shale Fly ash Blast furnace dust

Sea shale Rice hull ash

Cement kiln dust Slag

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19.3The principle in cement production*
The principle in cement production consists of grinding the raw materials into a very fine powder and
mixing them with corrective ingredients in suitable proportions followed by burning the mixture at about
1300-1500°C in a large rotary kiln where the material melts and partially fuses to produce clinker. At the
calcination zone (1000°C), limestone decomposes to give calcium oxide (CaO), which then fuses
withsilica (SiO2), alumina (Al2O3), and iron oxide (Fe2O3) to form hot clinker material at clinkering zone
(15000C). At this zone, lime and clay react to yield calcium aluminates and calcium silicates in the form
of hard and small stones are known as cementclinker (5-10mm in size). The chemical reactions and
physical processes that constitute the transformation are quite complex.
 2CaO +SiO2→2CaO.SiO2 (Dicalcium silicate (C2S))
 3CaO +SiO2→3CaO.SiO2 (Tricalcium silicate (C3S)
 3CaO +Al2O3→3CaO.Al2O3 (Tricalcium aluminate (C3A))
 4CaO +Al2O3+Fe2O3 →4CaO.Al2O3.Fe2O3 (Tetra calcium aluminoferrite (C4AF))
The clinker is then cooled and grinded to fine powder, along with the addition of 2-3% gypsum
(CaSO4.2H2O) in grinding mills. The addition of gypsum regulates the time of setting the cement. The
gypsum retards the dissolution of tri-calcium aluminates by forming tricalcium sulfoaluminate which is
insoluble and prevents too early further reactions of setting and hardening. The resulting product is the
commercial Portland cement used throughout the world. The cement thus obtained is packed in airtight
bags to avoid contact with moisture.
3CaO.Al2O3 + x CaSO 4.7H2O →3CaO.Al2O3. xCaSO4.7H2O
The raw materials can be mixed and ground either in water or in a dry condition; hence giving the names
dry and wet process. In the wet process and long dry process, all the pyro processing activity occurs in the
rotary kiln.
i) Dry process:In the dry process, the raw materials are grinded in their dry formusing cylindrical,
rotary dryers and fed to the kiln as a dry powder.Both calcareous and argillaceous raw materials are
firstly crushed in the gyratory crushers to get 2-5cm size pieces separately. The crushed materials are
again grinded to get fine particles into a ball or tube mill. Each finely grinded material is stored in a
hopper after screening. Now, these powdered minerals are mixed in the required proportion to get a
dry raw mix which is then stored in silos and kept ready to be sent into the rotary kiln. The dry
mixture is fed into a rotary kiln. The mixture is fed at the upper end while pulverized coal is blown
in by an air blast at the lower end of the slightly inclined kiln. When the mixture of raw materials
moves down the kiln, it is progressively subjected to a higher temperature (1300-1500°C)because of
which various chemical changes take place along the kiln: First being the water driven off and CO 2
is liberated from calcium carbonate. After passing through a series of chemical reactions in the kiln,
20 to 30 % of the dry material becomes liquid, and lime, silica, and alumina recombine. The
compounds are fused into balls known as clinker. Afterward, the clinker drops into coolers which are
very hard are inter grinded with gypsum to prevent the flash setting of the cement. The grind
material is cement.

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 Calcareous Material Lime Stone Argillaceous Material Clay

Crushing Crushing

Fine Grinding in Ball mills & Tube mills Fine Grinding in Ball mills & Tube mills

Storage basin Storage basin

Channel Mixing in correct Channel
proportions
Preheating @ 800º by exhaust gases

Storage tank for raw mix

Fuel fed from lower end
(coal, oil or natural gas.)
Addition of 2 to 3%
of gypsum
Fed to rotary kiln
Clinkers are formed
Clinkers are ground in Ball mill
Cement silos

Packing plant

Fig: Dry process for cement production

ii) Wet process: The grinded raw materials are mixed with water and are converted into a slurry
before burning in a rotary kiln.In the wet process, the raw materials are firstly crushed, powdered,
and stored in silos. The clay is then washed in washing mills to remove adhering organic matters
found in clay. The powdered limestone and water-washed clay are sent to flow in the channels and
transfer to grinding mills where they are completely mixed, and the paste is formed which is known
as slurry. The grinding process can be done in a ball or tube mill.Water is added to the raw mill
during the grinding of the raw materials in ball or tube mills, thereby producing a pumpable slurry,
or slip, of approximately 35-40% water. The slurry is agitated, blended (adjusted for proportion
using corrective ingredients), and stored in various kinds and sizes of cylindrical tanks or slurry
basins until it is fed to the pyro-processing system (1500°C) to get clinker. The material is fed to the
cement mill with the proportion of 95% &5% (Clinker & Gypsum) and grind in Vertical Cement
Mill to produce Portland cement. The fineness is measured by a Particle size analyzer to optimize
the particle size distribution for a better quality product.
Calcareous material Argillaceous
limestone material clay
Crusher Wash mill
Storage in silos Storage in basins

Wet grinding mill to make slurry

Blending of slurry to correct composition
Storage of corrected slurry
Powdered coal oil or gas Corrected slurry fed to rotary kila
Slurry in converted into Klinkers
Cooling of klinkers
Addition of 2% to 3% of gypsum
Klinker is ground into ball mill

Cement silos

Packing plant

Fig: Wet process for cement production

* This portionis given for basic principle for cement production, but not required.

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Difference between the wet and dry process for cement manufacturing
Wet process
i. In this process, the mixing, and grinding of
raw material are done by adding 30-35%
water in it.
ii. Moisture content of the slurry is 35-40%
iii. Size of the kiln needed to manufacture the
cement is bigger.
iv. The amount of heat required is higher, so the
required fuel amount is higher.
v. Morefuel is required hence
economicallycostlier than dry process.
vi. Raw material can be mixed easily, so a better
homogeneous material can be obtained.
vii. The raw materials are changed into powdered
form in presence of water.
Dry process
i. In this process, the mixing, and grinding of
raw material are done in a dry state.
ii. Moisture content of the pallets is 12%
iii. Size of kiln needed to manufacture the cement
is smaller.
iv. The amount of heat required is lower, so the
required fuel amount is lower.
v. Less fuel is required hence economically less
costly than the wet process.
vi. Raw material can not be mixed easily, so a
better homogeneous material can not be
obtained.
vii. The raw materials are changed into powdered
form in absence of water.

viii.Elongated burnt product ie., pallets are viii. Partly round burnt product ie., clinker is
produced. produced.

ix. more heating is done at 1500°C in the kiln. ix. The heating is done at1300°C in the kiln.

x. 26% of cement is produced. x. 74% of cement is produced.

Before starting a new cement plant, we should consider three main aspects:
i) Cement manufacturing process.
ii) Cement plant equipment.
iii) Cost-benefits of cement plant.
To meet the requirements of energy-saving and low-consumption in modern industrial development, a
new type of dry cement production process with suspension preheating and pre-calcining came out. Its
highlights include rapid heat conduction, high thermal efficiency, and larger output per unit volume, and
lower heat consumption compared to wet process cement production. Since the new dry process cement
production line is controlled by computer distribution, the temperature measurement and control during
the production process are accurate and timely and do not require manual operation, and it has a high
degree of automation. The cement rotary kiln used in the cement production line has complete
specifications, which can be installed and configured according to the actual needs of users. In addition,
cement rotary kiln has rapid heat transfer, high calcination quality, and continuous production. The waste
heat in cement production can be fully utilized. High-temperature calcination can fully decompose and
discharge toxic and harmful substances in the material, reduce harm to the human body and the
environment, and meet the requirements of green production.

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19.4 Main steps in cement production
There are the following main steps in the manufacture of Portland cement:
i) Crushing: Raw materials are extracted from quarries by blasting, drilling, or ripping using heavy
machinery. Wheel loaders and dumper trucks transport the raw materials to the crushing
installations. Limestones produced are then crushed with the help of crushers installed at the mine
site and crushed limestone is transported to plant stack pile with the help of Belt conveyor/Ropeway.
ii) Grinding and blending the materials in the correct proportions:Crushed quarried limestone is
further grinded to provide a fine material for the blending step. Thus obtained grinded material is
blended with corrective ingredients like clay/shale, silica, and iron ore in required proportion and
mix homogeneously to produce clinker of the desired composition. The raw materials “cement
rock”, obtained from a mine may contain appropriate proportions of all the required minerals or may
need to add corrective ingredients to adjust SiO2, Al2O3, or Fe2O3 levels. Kiln feed typically contains
78 -80% CaCO3 so that limestone is a major ingredient. It is essential to have sufficient flux (Al, Fe,
Mg, F) to promote fusion in the kiln, but MgO should not exceed 6% otherwise cement will be
expensive. The number of alkalis (Na, Ka), sulphur, and chlorine should be adjusted in the kiln feed
otherwise affects both kiln operation (build-up) and product quality (alkali-aggregate reactivity).The
stoichiometric ratio of alkalis to sulfur is normally kept between 0.8-1.2. Excess Cl (>0.015%) in the
kiln feed causes serious build-up problems for preheater operation. Additionally, excess sulphur
causes kiln build-ups problem and limits the addition of gypsum which may result in setting
problems.
iii) Strong heating (pyro processing):The blended raw materials are stored in silos before being fed
into the kiln for pyro-processing operation. The silo stores supply of material for several days to
provide a buffer against any glitches in the supply of raw material from the quarry. The blended
material is then heated at the hearth ofthe pyro processing system at high temperatures up to 1300–
1500oC in a rotary kiln to produce a clinker.The kiln is heated with the help of powdered coal or oil
or hot gases from the lower end of the kiln so that the long hot flames areproduced. The chemical
reactions and physical processes that constitute the transformation are quite complex. They can be
viewed conceptually as follows:
i. Evaporation of free water.
ii. Evolution of combined water in the argillaceous components.
iii. Evaporation of volatile constituents (e. g., sodium, potassium, chlorides, and sulfates).
iv. Calcination of the calcium carbonate (CaCO3) to calcium oxide (CaO).
CaCO3→ CaO +CO2
v. Reaction of CaO with silica to form dicalcium silicate and with excess, CaO gives tricalcium
silicate.
2CaO +SiO2→2CaO.SiO2 (Dicalcium silicate (C2S))
3CaO +SiO2→3CaO.SiO2 (Tricalcium silicate (C3S)
vi. Reaction of CaO with the aluminum and iron-bearing constituents to form the liquid phase.
3CaO +Al2O3→3CaO.Al2O3 (Tricalcium aluminate (C3A))
4CaO +Al2O3+Fe2O3 →4CaO.Al2O3.Fe2O3 (Tetra calcium aluminoferrite (C4AF))
vii. Formation of the clinker nodules.
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iv) Storing clinker (burnt product) and final grinding:The clinker coming from the burning zone is
very hot. To bring down the temperature of clinkers, the air is admitted in a counter-current direction
at the base of the rotary kiln. The cooled clinkers are collected in small trolleys or received from the
cooling pans and sent into mills. The clinker is grinded into powder in a ball mill or tube mill along
with 2–3% powdered gypsum (decrease the setting time) to produce cement.
v) Storage and packaging
The grinded cement is stored in silos, from which it is marketed either in containerload or 50kg
bags.
19.5 Types of cement-OPC and PPC
OPC and PPCcement differ from each other. Cement is categorized in terms of component, strength, heat
generation, the percentage of several components, durability, grades, cost, eco-friendly nature,
application, setting time, curing period, etc. Nowadays cement is available in two brands namely,
Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC).
1. Ordinary Portland cement (OPC cement): It is the most common cement used in the world
because of its abundance and its low cost of production. A mixture of limestone and other raw
materials like argillaceous, calcareous, gypsum is prepared and then grinded to prepare OPC. The
ordinary portland cement has been classified into three grades, namely 33 grade, 43 grade, and 53
grade. The grade depends upon the strength of cement at 28 days when tested as per IS:4031-1988.
For example, if the strength is not less than 33 N/mm2, it is called 33-grade cement. Some
characteristics of OPC are:
i) It is less durable in aggressive weather.
ii) It is costlier, and its initial strength is higher than PPC.
iii) It has lower resistance against alkalis, sulphates, chlorides,etc.
iv) It has a high % of chloride, sulphate, alkalis, etc., in its composition which makes the concrete
less durable.
v) The emission of CO2 occurs during its manufacturing process.
vi) The hydration process is fast resulting in the high heat of hydration and it is unsuitable for
mass concreting.
Uses:It is suitable where fast construction is required but not suitable for mass concreting as more
heat is generated in a hydration reaction.
2. Portland Pozzolana cement (PPC): PPC is a variant of OPCobtained by adding a mixture of
pozzolanic materials namely fly ash and volcanic ash to the OPC. Pozzolana materials are added to
the cement in the ratio of 15% to 35% by weight. The addition of pozzolana improves the strength
and durability of the cement and even reduces the costs of concrete production. In other words, PPC
greatly reduces the amount of OPC used in concrete. PPC is cheaper and has low initial setting
strength compared to OPC but hardens over a period with proper curing. Pozzolana is available in
one grade and its strength matches the strength of grade 33 OPC after curing.
Some characteristics of PPCare:
i) PPC is the result of adding pozzolana or similar materials such as volcanic ash, clay, slag,
silica, fume, fly ash or shale with OPC, so it is cheaper than OPC.

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 ii) It has a slow hydration process and thus generates less heat than OPC.Therefore, it is suitable
for mass concreting and makes the concrete more durable.
iii) Setting time of PPC is higher with an initial setting of 30 minutes and 600 minutes for the final
set. Its slower setting time helps to get better finishing.
iv) PPC uses natural and industrial waste thus reducing environmental pollution.
Uses: PPC is highly resistant to sulphate,and chlorideattack (chemical breakdown mechanism),
hence its prime use is in the construction of dams, foundations, buildings near the seashore,
reservoirs, marine construction, etc.
Difference between OPC and PPC

Ordinary portland cement (OPC) Portland pozzolana cement (PPC)

i. OPC is manufactured by grinding a mixture i. PPC is a variant of Ordinary Portland

of limestone and other raw materials like Cement. Pozzolana materials namely fly ash,
argillaceous, calcareous, gypsum to a powder. volcanic ash, are added to the OPC to produce
PPC.

ii. It is slightly costlier than PPC. iii. It is cheaper than OPC.

iii. It has higher strength than PPC in the initial iii. The strength of PPC is better than OPC in the
stage. long term.

iv. It is not favorable in aggressive weather. iv. It is favorable in aggressive weather.

v. It is available in three grades as 33 grade,43 v. It is available in specific grades.

grade, and 53 grades.

vi. The hydration process is fast resulting in the vi. The hydration process is slow resulting in low
high heat of hydration. Therefore, it is heat of hydration. Therefore, it is suitable for
unsuitable for mass concreting. mass concreting.

vii. It has a high % of chloride, sulphate, alkali, vii. It has a low % of chloride, sulphate, alkali,
etc., in its composition which makes the magnesia, and free lime,etc., in its
concrete less durable. composition which makes the concrete more
durable.
19.6Manufacture of portland cement with flow sheet diagram
The most important raw materials for making cement are limestone, clay, and marl (limestone with
admixtures of silex and clay substances, as well as iron oxide). Manufacturing of Portland cement
involves the following steps:
i) Quarrying:Raw materials are extracted from quarries by blasting or by ripping using heavy
machinery. Wheel loaders and dumper trucks transport the raw materials to the crushing
installations.
ii) Crushing:Limestones produced are then crushed with the help of crushers installed at the mine site
and crushed limestone is transported to plant stack pile with the help of a Belt conveyor/Ropeway.
iii) Grinding, blending, and homogenization: Crushed quarried limestone is ground (further crushed
into small pieces) as necessary to provide a fine material for blending. Thus obtainedenough fine
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 material is blended with corrective ingredients like clay/shale, silica, and iron ore in required
proportionand mix homogeneously to produce clinker of the desired composition.
iv) Pyro processing:The blended raw materials are stored in silos before being fed into the kiln for
pyro-processing operation. The silo stores several days' supply of material to provide a buffer
against any glitches in the supply of raw material from the quarry.The blended material is then
heated at high temperatures up to 1300–1500oC in a rotary kiln to produce a clinker.The kiln is
heated with the help of powdered coal or oil or hot gases from the lower end of the kiln so that the
long hot flames are produced.
v) Storing clinker and grinding:The clinker coming from the burning zone are very hot. To bring
down the temperature of clinkers, the air is admitted in a counter-current direction at the base of the
rotary kiln. The cooled clinkers are collected in small trolleys. The clinker is grinded into powder in
a ball mill or tube mill along with 2–3% powdered gypsum to produce cement.The grinded cement
is stored in silos, from which it is marketed either in container load or 50kg bags.

Corrective
ingredients
Rock Quarrying Raw Crushing Grinding Raw Homogenization
materials meal

Kiln feed Cement

Pyroprocessing Clinker Storing Grinding
Additives
Clinker

Fig: Portland cement flow sheet diagram

Flow Chart of Manufacturing OPC

Raw materials: Calcarious Lime stone or Chalk

Argilaceous Clay or Shale
Two processes of mfg. of cement
WET PROCESS DRY PROCESS
Raw Maerial Raw Maerial

Crushers Crushers
Grinders Grinders
Wash mill Compressed Air Blenders
Raw Material + 35%
To 50% of water Raw Material + 15%
of water
Slurry of Raw materials
is mixed in storage tank/silos Flakes of Material
Kiln (Calcination) Kiln (Calcination)
Clinkers Clinkers
(Addition of Gyspum) Grinders + Ball mill (Addition of Gyspum) Grinders + Ball mill

Cement (Packed in Bags of 50 kg) Cement (Packed in Bags of 50 kg)

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Self-Practice Questions
1. Draw the flow sheet diagram for portland cement production.
2. Write the difference between OPC and PPC

19.7Cement industry in Nepal

In Nepal, cement was used in the 1950s and its supply was diversified in 1965. Himal Cement Company
was the first cement plant established in 1975 had a production rate of 160tons per day but it was later
shutdown in 2002. After this Heauda cement industry and Udayapur cement industry limited were
established. Nepal’s domestic cement production has been growing steadily over the past few years as the
demand for cement continues to rise. Nepali cement producers are producing OPC, PPC of which OPC is
widely used by consumers.Hongshi-Shivam Cement Private Limited, a Nepal-China
jointventure company, has start cement production in March 2018. It is the largest cement factory in
Nepal with a daily production capacity of 6,000 tons. According to the Department of industries, 27 mini,
medium, and large-scale cement industries, more than 17 mini and mini clinker-based cement industries
have been registered in Nepal. Some cement industries established in the public and private sectors in
Nepal are mentioned below:
Public sectors
i) Himal Cement Companyii)Hetauda Cement Industry Ltd.iii)Udaypur Cement Industry Ltd.
Private sectors (partial list)
i. Jagdamba Cement Industries Pvt. Ltdii.Maruti Cement Udhyogiii.Panch Ratna Cement Udhyogiv.
Butwal Cementv.Triveni Cement Udhyogvi.Shivam Cement Pvt.Ltdvii.Balaji Cement Udhyog viii.
National Cement Pvt.Ltdix. Sagarmatha Cement Pvt.Ltdx. Agni Cement Industry
Pvt.Ltdxi.Siddharth Cement Udhyogxii.Koshi Cement Pvt.Ltdxiii. Arghakhanchi cement industry
Clinker based cement industries (partial list)
i) Mittal Cement Industry Pvt.Ltdii)Pashupati Cement Pvt.Ltdiii)Ambe Cement Pvt.Ltd
Challenges during cement production in Nepal
Unfortunately, Nepal is one of the developing countries in the world due to the lack of any significant
resources, as well as due to a poor transport network. Another fact that contributes to such a low level of
development is the landlocked nature of the country. For this reason, the country is largely dependent on
imports for a wide range of things such as fuel, consumer goods, building materials, metals, and other
things. Few resources in the country include precious minerals and metals (such as iron ore, copper,
magnesite, etc.), water resources for hydropower, agricultural land, and forests. In the context of the
chemical industry, some of the challenges found during establishing a cement factory are as follows:
i) Issues of adequateinfrastructures such as roads, housing construction, and expansion of corporate
production facilities.
ii) Issues of frequent power crisis (lack of electricity and fuel sources such as coal, fuel oil, natural gas,
tires, hazardous wastes, petroleum coke, and anything combustible).
iii) Issue of quality of cement producedand it's export in the market supply.
iv) Issuesof lack of raw materials and supplementary cementitious materials.The grinding of the source
material would be an issue because of the hardness andhigh abrasiveness of the materials.
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v) Lack of modern technology and an equally skilled workforce in the country.
vi) Issues of environmental pollutants.Air pollution occurs in the excavation activities, dumps, tips,
conveyer belts, crushing mills, and kilns of the cement industry. The emissions of large quantities of
greenhouse gases including dust, other carbon oxides such as carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen
oxides (NOxs), sulphur oxides (SOxs), dibenzofurans, total organic carbon, metals, hydrogen
chloride, and hydrogen fluoride to air by the cement industry could cause direct consequences on
global warming and produce serious adverse effects on the human health.
Strategies to cope with the challenges
i) Thegovernment should invest a lot in infrastructure development particularly roads,
housingconstruction, and expansion of corporateproduction facilities.
ii) By the use of innovative techniques to cut off the CO2 emission for capturing or storing the CO2.
iii) Manufacturing blendedcements (PPC) by diluting Portland cement clinker with other constituents.
iv) Replacing fossil fuels to cost-effective renewable energy sources such as solar and hydroelectricity.
v) By the application of alternative raw materials that minimize carbon dioxide emission
and reduce energy consumption such as calcium sulfoaluminates.

Chapter summary
1. During the manufacture of Portland cement, gypsum or plaster of paris is added to adjust the setting
time of cement. The setting time of cement is measured by Vicat’s apparatus.
2. Cement was introduced by Mason Joseph Aspden. PPC stands for portland pozzolana cement.
3. Cement is formed by strongly heating a mixture of limestone and clay. After storage, the strength of
cement is decreased. When concrete is to be laid underwater, quick-setting cement is used.
4. Concrete is prepared by mixing cement, fine aggregate, coarse aggregate with water. It is a thick
paste and hence has high bulk density.Iron oxide gives colour to the cement.
5. Cement is highly alkaline and the setting process is exothermic. Wet cement is strongly caustic and
causes skin burns.The principal cementing compound is calcium aluminate (CaO·Al 2O3).
6. Ordinary portland cement (OPC) is the most widely used type of cement, which is suitable for all
general concrete construction which contains quick lime in the largest amount. Other types of
cement are portland pozzolana cement (PPC), rapid hardening cement, quick setting cement, low
heat cement, sulfates resisting cement, blast furnace slag cement, and high alumina cement.
7. The density of cement in 1 bag of cement = 1440 kg/ m³, 1 bag = 50 kg of cement.

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Solved Answer Questions
1. How do the varieties of cement differ for raw materials and manufacturing processes?
 Cement is a manufactured product made by blending different raw materials and heating them at a
high temperature to obtain desired chemical proportions of lime, silica, alumina, and iron in the
finished product, known as cement clinker. Technically, cement producers have almost complete
control over clinker composition by blending raw materials of different compositions of the desired
form. In practice, clinker composition and process of manufacturing (dry and wet) determine the
varieties of cement.
2. Define the following terms: a) marl b) corrective ingredients c) clinkers
 a) Marl: Limestone with admixtures of silica, clay substance, and iron oxide is called marls.
Geologically, marls are sedimentary rocks generated by simultaneous sedimentation of calcium
carbonate and clay substances. Because of the wide distribution of marls, they are frequently
used as raw materials for cement production.
b) Corrective ingredients:The essential chemical component added in the cement raw mixture if
not present in the required amount is known as corrective ingredients or additives. For
example, sand, high silica clay, and diatomite, etc., are used as corrective ingredients to fulfill
the silica content.
c) Clinkers: The fused products of aluminates and silicates of calcium in the form of hard and
small stones obtained by fusing limestone and clay areknown as clinkers.

Exercise
Very Short Answer Questions
1. What is cement? Name the raw material required for the manufacture of cement.
2. What is the average composition of Portland cement?
3. Write the molecular formula of gypsum. Why is it added to the cement?
4. What is the difference between ordinary portland cement and portland pozzolana cement?
5. Why is small amount of gypsum added before cement clinker is finely ground?
6. What changes occur during the setting of cement?
Short Answer Questions
1. Describe the main steps involved in the production of cement.
2. Name the raw materials used formanufacturing cement? How is cement manufactured?
3. Differentiate between dryand wet process of manufacturing of portland cement.
4. Draw the flow sheet diagram for portland cement production.
5. Describe the current status of the cement industry in Nepal.
6. Define Portland cement. Give its constituent and types. Discuss the process description of portland
cement production with a flow chart diagram.
7. If an investor is going to start a new cement plant, before starting it, which aspects should be
considered?
8. What is the major challenge in establishing cement industries in the countries like Nepal? Mention
how many challenges can be strategically overcome?

670 Pioneer Chemistry II (Approved by CDC Nepal)

 Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which is the first cement company to start manufacturing in Nepal?
a. hetauda cement industry b. udayapur cement industry Ltd.
c. himal cement company d. national cement udhyog
2. The chemical formula of portland cement is
a. 4CaO.Al2O3.Fe2O3 b. CaO + SiO2 +Al2O3 + MgO +Fe2O3
c. CaO + SiO2 +Al2O3 + MgO d. Al2O3 + MgO +Fe2O3
3. Which of the following chemical is used to regulate the time of setting the cement?
a. alumina b. marble c. plaster of paris d. gypsum
4. The heart of the portland cement manufacturing process involves
a. burning b. grinding c. blending d. all
5. PPC refers to a form of portland cement which is
a. protozoa portland cement b. portland cement
c. pozzolana cement. d. portland pozzolana cement.
6. The compound first to settle in cement is?
a. tricalcium silicate b. tetra calcium alumino ferrite
c. tricalcium aluminate d. dicalcium silicate
7. To produce low heat cement, it is necessary to reduce the compound.
a. C3S b. C2S c. C3A d. C4AF
8. The initial setting time of ordinary portland cement is?
a. 10min b. 30min c. 45min d. 60min
9. Which of the following bogue's compound of cement liberates maximum heat of hydration?
a. tricalcium silicate b. tetra calcium alumino ferrite
c. tricalcium aluminate d. dicalcium silicate
10. For Portland cement of 43 grade, 28 days mean compressive strength should be?
a. 43 PMa b. 53 MPa c. 43.5 MPa d. 33 MPa
11. Gypsum used in cement manufacturing acts as
a. accelerator b. air-entraining agent
c. plasticizer d. retarder
12. Which of the following is added for quick setting of cement?
a. gypsum b. alum c. zinc sulphate d. aluminium sulphate

(Approved by CDC Nepal) Cement 671

13. Di-calcium silicate (C2S).
a. hydrates rapidly b. generates less heat of hydration
c. hardens rapidly d. has less resistance to sulphate attack
14. The amount of gypsum, usually, added in the manufacture of cement is?
a. 0.1-0.5% b. 0.5-1% c. 1-3% d. 3-5%
15. The cementing property of cement is due to?
a. lime b. silica c. iron oxide d. alumina
16. The expansion of portland cement is caused by?
a. free lime b. magnesia c. silica d. both (b) and (c)
17. The fuel generally used for burning limestone is?
a. coal b. charcoal c. firewood d. any one of the above
18. The advantage of adding pozzolana (or surkhi) to lime is to?
a. reduce shrinkage b. increase resistance to cracking
c. increase resistance to chemical attack d. all of the above
19. The constituent in lime that retard the slaking action and increases the rapidity of setting is?
a. silica b. sulphate c. alkalis d. alumina
20. Hydrated lime for making mortars is slaked for?
a. 1-day b. 3 days c. 7 days d. 14 days
21. Which of the following is not an important constituents of cement?
a. CaO b. Al2O3 c. MgO d. Na2O

Answers:
1. c 2. b 3. d 4. a 5. d
6. c 7. c 8. b 9. c 10. a
11. d 12. d 13. b 14. c 15. b
16. b 17. d 18. d 19. b 20. a
21. d

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672 Pioneer Chemistry II (Approved by CDC Nepal)