Cement Grinding and Storage

Cement grinding and storage
Anca Jensen
Research Engineer
PhD, Materials Science
ancj@flsmidth.com
The information contained or referenced in this presentation is confidential
and proprietary to FLSmidth and is protected by copyright or trade secret laws.
Produce high quality cement

Other additives
+
Grinding
Clinker
Gypsum Cement
FLSmidth 2014, all rights reserved The information contained or referenced in this presentation is confidential
and proprietary to FLSmidth and is protected by copyright or trade secret laws. 2
1
Process conditions affect
cement quality
Humidity Humidity Humidity
Temperature Temperature CO2
Clinker
Gypsum
Other
Grinding in Silo storage & Storage

cement mill Bulk transport in bags
Three important reactions
1. Dehydration of the gypsum in cement >70°C: water

(H2O) is liberated
CaSO4·2H2O D CaSO4·½H2O +1½H2O D CaSO4 + 2H2O
2
Three important reactions
2. Prehydration of clinker or cement:

Reaction with water/water vapour before the right
time
3. Carbonation: Reaction of clinker or cement with CO2

(carbondioxide)
and proprietary to FLSmidth and is protected by copyright or trade secret laws. Lecture 06-03 5
Effect of the three reactions
§ Powder Characteristics:
Impaired flowability
Lump formation
Blockages in silos
Crust formation in bags
§ Hydraulic Properties:
Reduced strength (especially early strength)
Changes in setting properties
3
Clinker storage
Keep clinker dry to avoid

clinker prehydration
Examples of large partly covered clinker storage
Clinker storage
Normal Clinker seen in the

microscope
4
Clinker storage
Prehydrated clinker reduces

cement strength
”Needles” from prehydration and carbonation
Gypsum
CaSO4.nH2O
(n=0, 2)
3-6% gypsum is added in the mill during cement grinding
5
Gypsum
During grinding in the cement mill

gypsum is dehydrated
Name Dihydrate Hemihydrate Anhydrite
(Gypsum) (Plaster of Paris) (Soluble or Insoluble)
Origin From nature or Heating of Soluble: From heating
Chemical by-product Dihydrate Insoluble: Nature
Chemical Comp. CaSO4, 2 H2O CaSO4, 1/2 H2O CaSO4
Crystal Water 20.9% 6.2% 0%
Types of setting
Normal Set
§ Balance between reactivity of gypsum and C 3A
Quick or Flash set

§ High heat evolution, very short setting time
§ C3A more reactive than gypsum
False Set
§ Fast setting, but reversible
§ Gypsum more reactive than C3A
6
Gypsum
The level of gypsum

dehydration is influenced by
Temperature
Time
Humidity
Gypsum
Increase
temperature in the
cement mill to
increase
gypsum
dehydration
7
Gypsum
Reduce water
in the cement
mill to
increase
gypsum
dehydration
Gypsum
Add gypsum
to control
cement
setting and
improve
strength
8
Laboratory methods to
identify cement quality
§ DSC - Gypsum dehydration

Differential Scanning Calorimetry
§ TGA - Prehydration/carbonation
ThermoGravimetric Analysis
§ Plant method
Differential Scanning Calorimetry
The level of gypsum dehydration

is measured by Differential
Scanning Calorimetry
Dihydrate=3.3% Hemihydrate=0.8%
T~160oC T~200oC
9
Effect of High Gypsum Dehydration
in Cement Mill
§ Improved Cement Strength
§ Risk of False Setting
§ Improved Silo Storage
High gypsum dehydration in the

cement mill improves strength
10
Thermo Gravimetric Analysis
Prehydration and carbonation of

cement is measured by
Thermogravimetric Analysis
(TGA)
ThermoGravimetric Analysis
Indentify problems with cement quality
1.H2O from prehydration 0.13%
2. Water from gypsum 0.75%
3. H2O from prehydration 0.34%
4. H2O from Ca(OH)2 0.41%
5.CO2 from carbonation 0.7 %
and proprietary to FLSmidth and is protected by copyright or trade secret laws. Lecture 06-03 22
11
Cement grinding
Cement grinding-Ball mill
Grinding of cement in the

ball mill
• Mill outlet temperature high

~115-120°C
• Water cooling only for

temperatures > 100°C at
diaphragm
12
Example from Plant Ball Mill

Cooling of mill Problem
Dew point °C 70
Diaphragm °C 80
temp.
Cement temp. °C 145
outlet
Wk % 0.44
Strength: MPa
2 days 27.3 (-11%)
7 days " 57.9 (-7%)
28 days " 74.3 ( 0%)
Keep temperature in the mill

above 100°C
Cooling of mill Problem Correct
Dew point °C 70 70
Diaphragm °C 80 110
temp.
Cement temp. °C 145 120
outlet
Wk % 0.44 0.25
Strength: MPa
2 days 27.3 (-11%) 30.8
7 days " 57.9 (-7%) 62.2
28 days " 74.3 ( 0%) 74.3
13
Cement grinding- Vertical mill
Grinding of cement in the

vertical mill
Optimum grinding parameters will

depend on:
• clinker temperature, availability of

hot gas, climatic conditions
• quality of the feed materials
• legislative requirements
• storage time in the cement silo.
Main recommendations
Water injection as low as possible:

-at low temperatures (75oC) to
avoid prehydration
-At high temperatures (120oC) to
increase gypsum dehydration
Temperature in the mill 75oC or

120oC
! Mill outlet temperatures

between 80oC and 110oC
increases the potential risk
for lump formation in the silo
14
When to choose low outlet temperatures ~75◦C
Site conditions Result

• Cold clinker • Low gypsum dehydration
• Cold climate • Low temperature into the silo
• No use of Hot Gas Generator • No problems in silo
and no hot gas from cooler
• No use of high water injection
• Low water content in feed
materials
• No cement cooler
! The cement should only be mixed with other

low temperature cement
When to choose high outlet temperature

~115-120°C
• Hot clinker • Similarity to ball mill cement
• Hot climate • High gypsum dehydration with
• High water content in the feed low to medium water injection
materials • Low Wk
• Hot gas generator or hot
surplus gas from clinker cooler
• Water injection is necessary
due to clinker quality (dusty
clinker- improve kiln operation
and clinker granulometry)
! The cement should only be mixed with cement

produced at high temperature
15
When to choose outlet temperature 80-110oC

• If Mill and Silo are already • Gypsum is not dehydrated to
working well at these any significant degree
temperatures • The temperature is so high
• Gypsum content fairly low or
that gypsum may dehydrate
mainly composed of anhydrite
• Cement is always sold “at once” –
in the silo
reduced storage time (<1 week)
• Cement cooler is already available
and used
! The cement should only be mixed with

cement produced under similar conditions
Silo Storage
§ High temperature
§ Closed system
§ Fairly long time
16
Silo storage
Potential Problems:
§ Gypsum dehydration
§ Blockages
§ Varying cement quality out of silo
Silo storage
Build-up beginning on interior

silo wall
17
Silo storage
Lumps block the silo
Silo storage
18
Silo storage
Problems from
cement plant
Silo storage
Problems from cement plant

Cement from: Mill Silo
TGA Wk % 0.25 0.56
Results H2O from gypsum % 0.55 »0.04
LOI % 1.57 1.22
DSC CaSO4, 2 H2O % 2.5 »0.1
Results CaSO4, 1/2 H2O % 0.4 »0.5
Strength: 1 day MPa 17.0 10.5 (-38%)
7 days MPa 48.8 35.2 (-28%)
28 days MPa 72.5 67.3 (-7%)
Setting Normal false
Powder characteristics Normal sticky
19
Bag Storage
§ Low temperature – no gypsum

dehydration
§ Open system – exposure to air
Potential problems
§ Lumps, crust formation
§ Prehydration and carbonation
Bag storage
Example of Bag storage problem
We note the
beginning of
layers inside
the bag
20
Bag storage
Avoid problems with cement

quality during storage in bags
Can all these problems be

prevented?
YES !
21
Grinding
Possible problems Solutions

False set • Decrease cement mill
temperature
• Decrease gypsum content
• Replace part of the
gypsum with anhydrite
Grinding
Ball Mill • Increase mill temperature
· Low strength • Decrease internal water
· Prehydration cooling.
• Check diaphragm
temperature >100 °C
with water cooling active
• Check water cooling
system
OK Mill • Decrease water injection
· Low strength esp. for temperatures
· Prehydration below app. 110°C,
possibly add grinding aid
• Raise mill temperature if
below 110°C to increase
gypsum dehydration
• Reduce wet materials
22
Silo storage
· Prehydration • Shorten storage time
· False set • Increase mill temperature to
increase gypsum dehydration
· Low strength • Cool hot cement before
· Lumps storage (temperature <70°C)
· Blockages • Add hydrophobic additive in
mill (may affect setting and
strength negatively)
• Add less gypsum, replace
some with anhydrite
• Decrease C3A and
alkalisulfate content and
reduce surplus alkalies in
clinker (less alkalialuminate)
• Free CaO not too low
Questions??
23
Sample/ Problem(s) Suggested solution(s)
Indicator
Prehydrated ® Shorten storage time

· “Too easy” to grind to high ® Cover storage area
Clinker Blaine in mill (surprisingly low ® Mix small part of stored clinker with normal clinker before
kWh/t) and low cement grinding
LOI increases strength ® Grind to higher Blaine fineness than normally done
® Decrease cement mill temperature

® Decrease gypsum content
· False Set
® Replace part of the gypsum with anhydrite
® Increase mill temperature

Cement from Ball Mill ® Decrease internal water cooling.
mill. · Low strength ® Check diaphragm temperature >100 °C with water cooling
· Prehydration active
® Check water cooling system
LOI no indicator
® Decrease water injection esp. for temperatures below app.
OK Mill 110°C, possibly add grinding aid
· Low strength ® Raise mill temperature if below 110°C to increase gypsum
· Prehydration dehydration
® Reduce wet materials
® Shorten storage time

® Increase mill temperature to increase gypsum dehydration.
Silo Storage · Prehydration
® Cool hot cement before storage (temperature <70°C)
® Add hydrophobic additive in mill (may affect setting and
· False set
strength negatively)
Variable LOI · Low strength
® Add less gypsum, replace some with anhydrite
indicates silo · Lumps
® Decrease C3A and alkalisulfate content and reduce surplus
· Blockages
problems alkalies in clinker (less alkalialuminate)
® Free CaO not less than 1.5%
Cement grinding and storage
Anca Jensen
Research Engineer
PhD, Materials Science
ancj@flsmidth.com
The information contained or referenced in this presentation is confidential
and proprietary to FLSmidth and is protected by copyright or trade secret laws.
24

Cement Grinding and Storage

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Cement Grinding and Storage

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Cement grinding and storage

Produce high quality cement

Grinding in Silo storage & Storage

Three important reactions

1. Dehydration of the gypsum in cement >70°C: water

2. Prehydration of clinker or cement:

3. Carbonation: Reaction of clinker or cement with CO2

Effect of the three reactions

Keep clinker dry to avoid

Examples of large partly covered clinker storage

Normal Clinker seen in the

Prehydrated clinker reduces

3-6% gypsum is added in the mill during cement grinding

During grinding in the cement mill

(Gypsum) (Plaster of Paris) (Soluble or Insoluble)

Origin From nature or Heating of Soluble: From heating

Chemical by-product Dihydrate Insoluble: Nature

Chemical Comp. CaSO4, 2 H2O CaSO4, 1/2 H2O CaSO4

Crystal Water 20.9% 6.2% 0%

Quick or Flash set

The level of gypsum

§ DSC - Gypsum dehydration

Differential Scanning Calorimetry

The level of gypsum dehydration

§ Improved Cement Strength

§ Risk of False Setting

§ Improved Silo Storage

High gypsum dehydration in the

Prehydration and carbonation of

1.H2O from prehydration 0.13%

2. Water from gypsum 0.75%

3. H2O from prehydration 0.34%

4. H2O from Ca(OH)2 0.41%

5.CO2 from carbonation 0.7 %

Cement grinding-Ball mill

Grinding of cement in the

• Mill outlet temperature high

• Water cooling only for

Example from Plant Ball Mill

Cement grinding-Ball mill

Keep temperature in the mill

Grinding of cement in the

Optimum grinding parameters will

• clinker temperature, availability of

• quality of the feed materials

• storage time in the cement silo.

Cement grinding- Vertical mill

Water injection as low as possible:

Temperature in the mill 75oC or

! Mill outlet temperatures

When to choose low outlet temperatures ~75◦C

Site conditions Result

! The cement should only be mixed with other

Cement grinding- Vertical mill

When to choose high outlet temperature

! The cement should only be mixed with cement

When to choose outlet temperature 80-110oC

Site conditions Result

! The cement should only be mixed with

§ Fairly long time

Build-up beginning on interior

Lumps block the silo

Problems from cement plant