Faculty of Engineering concrete tech.

/Practice
Civil department 2014-2015
Concrete Lab. 2nd year

__________________________________________________________________________________
Test#5 Standard test methods for

Fineness of Cement
1-1 References:
1. ASTM C204
2. BS EN 196 - 6
1-2 Introduction:
Fineness of cement is a measure of size of particle of cement, or it is expressed as a
specific surface of cement (cm2/gm, or m2/kg).
Regardless the composition of cement, an important factor which influent the rate of
reaction of cement with water is the size of the particles. For a given weight of finely
grounded cement, the surface area of the particles is greater than that for coarsely
grounded cement. Hence, the rate of reaction with water is greater and the hardening
process can proceed more rapidly.
If however, cement is ground too finely, the extreme fine particles may be pre-
hydrated by moisture presented as vapor in the grinding mills or during storage, so that no
valuable cement can be derived from such particles.
Maximum number of particles in a sample of cement should have a size less than
about 100 microns. The smallest particle may have a size less than about 1.5 microns.

Fineness of cement is tested in two ways:

1. By Sieving, using standard sieves (ASTM #200 or 74 microns, BS #170 or 90
microns)
2. By determining the specific surface using air permeability apparatus.

1-3 Purpose:

To measure the degree of fineness of cement which consider as one of the important
properties that affect the following:

a) Rate of hydration of cement,

b) Rate of setting,
c) Workability,
d) Coating the particle surface for fine aggregate completely.

1-4 Specifications:
According to ASTM, the degree of fineness should not be more than 22%.
According to BS, the degree of fineness should not be more than 10%.
For ordinary Portland cement, the minimum specific surface using Blaine Air-
Permeability apparatus is limited to 2250 cm2/gm.
Faculty of Engineering concrete tech. /Practice
Civil department 2014-2015
Concrete Lab. 2nd year

__________________________________________________________________________________

1-5 Questions:

1. Which method is most widely used to determine the fineness of cement in Kurdistan
Region?
2. What will happen if cement is grounded beyond certain limit?
3. Explain how surface area of cement governs the rate of hydration?
4. What is the effect on physical properties of cement, if the residual of cement on
standard sieves is greater than that given by the specifications?
5. Express graphically the relationship between degree of fineness and specific surface
of cement particles?
6. Express graphically the relationship between strength of concrete at different ages and
fineness of cement?

1-6 Procedures: (Blaine Air Permeability Method)

1
Faculty of Engineering concrete tech. /Practice
Civil department 2014-2015
Concrete Lab. 2nd year

__________________________________________________________________________________

Fineness of Cement (cm2/g) =
. √

Where:
K= (Apparatus constant, predetermined from calibration procedures)
T= (the time required by the liquid to flow from second etch line to the third etch line)

Figure-1