IRFAN YOUSAF

Trainee Engineer Quality Control

Bestway Cement Limited
Farooqia
 Contents

Section Section Section

A B C
• Introduction • Impact of • Cement
to Cement Process Grinding
Parameters
on Product
Quality
 Section A

Introduction to Cement
 Cement Definition

Finely ground inorganic material which

when mixed with water forms a paste which sets
and hardens by means of hydration reaction and
process and which after hardening retains its
stability even under water
Main Steps of Cement Manufacturing

Raw mix
preparation

Combustio
n

Clinker
grinding

Shipping
 Cement Standards

Pakistan European
Standard Standard

ASTM
Standard
 BCL Farooqia Products

OPC
Pakcem
ASTM
Stallion
HES
 Section B

Impact of Process Parameters on

Product Quality
 Impact of Process Parameters on Product Quality

• Raw Mix Preparation

• Pyroprocessing
• Factors Affecting Clinker Quality
• Characteristics of Clinker Phases
• Minor Elements of Clinker
• Impact of Fuel Change
• Main Requirements for Good Clinker
Raw Mix Preparation
 Objective of Raw Mix

• The mix must be burnable (Burnability

parameters)
• Market consideration (Compositional
parameters)
 Impact of Raw Mix Ratios

Lime Saturation Factor

LSF = 100*CaO/(2.8*SiO2+1.18*Al2O3+0.65*Fe2O3)
• Proportions of C3S and C2S
• Ease of combinability
• Higher LSF more difficult to burn - Free lime
 Impact of Raw Mix Ratios

Silica Modulus

SM = SiO2/(Al2O3 + Fe2O3)

• Increase in SM - harder burnability (more C3S)

• Kiln process (coating, rings) sensitive to SM
changes
• Decrease in nodulization
• Protective coating on refractory decreases
 Impact of Raw Mix Ratios

Alumina Modulus

AM = Al2O3/Fe2O3

• Lower alumina ratio leads to easier burning

• Increase in AM - more liquid phase initially
• Higher C3A content from higher AM
 Impact of Raw Mix Ratios

Fineness

• Easier to burn
• Higher size results more free lime.
• Conversion of C2S to C3S easy in fines
 Impact of Raw Mix Ratios

Liquid Phase formation

• Effective granulation
• Formation of clinker minerals
• Stable coating
• Protecting the refractory
 Impact of Raw Mix Ratios

Excessively high Excessively low

liquid phase liquid phase
• Attack of the • Little or no coating
bricks • Very hard to burn
• “Washing out" of clinker (high free
coating lime)
• Hard to grind • Increase in clinker
clinker dustiness
• Snowmen in the • High thermal loads
cooler
 Impact of Free Lime

• A too high amount of F.CaO leads to

expansion
• A too low amount of F.CaO is the result of
over-burnt clinker
• Optimum value is desired
Pyroprocessing
 Formation of Clinker

• Zone I: Evaporation of free water

• Zone II: Dehydration
• Zone III: Decarbonation
• Zone IV: Clinkering
• Zone V: Quenching
 Formation of Clinker

Zone I Evaporation of free water

• Water coming from moisture in the material
escapes.
• This reaction requires very little energy
 Formation of Clinker

Zone II Dehydration
• Between 350°C & 650°C
• Clay starts to lose its water of crystallization.
• 2SiO2.Al2O3.2H2O Heat→2SiO2.Al2O3 +
2H2O
 Formation of Clinker

Zone III Decarbonation

• Up to 900°C
CaCO3 decomposes rapidly into lime
and carbon dioxide
CaCO3 → CaO + CO2
• At 650°C
MgCO3 decomposes into magnesia and
carbon dioxide
MgCO3 → MgO + CO2
 Formation of Clinker

Zone IV Clinkering (burning zone)

• From 1300°C
• C3A and C4AF liquefy and constitute the flux.
• Belite is formed
2CaO + SiO2 → 2CaO.SiO2

• C2S combines with free CaO to form C3S in the

presence of flux, forming nodules
CaO + C2S → C3S
 Formation of Clinker

Zone V Quenching
• 1400°C to 1250°C
Cooling in kiln ‘behind’ flame to 1250 ºC
• Further rapid cooling
• C3A and C4AF crystallize from liquid phase
• Slow cooling affects clinker phases
• C3A and C4AF produce relatively large crystals
• C3S becomes unstable and degrades to C2S +
F.CaO
Formation of Clinker
Factors Affecting Clinker Quality
 Factors Affecting Clinker Quality

Burning Burning
Cooling rate
Regime Environment
 Factors Affecting Clinker Quality

Burning Regime
Good quality clinker means
• Not too high free lime
expansion problems
• Not too low free lime
Over burning
High burning zone temperature
Damage to bricks
High heat consumption
 Factors Affecting Clinker Quality

Burning Environment
• Oxidizing conditions are essential
Kiln stability
Correct formation of phases
• Important not to have Reducing conditions
 Factors Affecting Clinker Quality

Causes of reducing environment

• High carbon content in raw materials
• High pyritic content in kiln feed
• Poor flame design
• Burner pipe out of alignment
• Coal too coarse
• Overloading of kiln
• Process stability (Raw mix, fuel)
 Factors Affecting Clinker Quality

Reducing conditions problems

• Volatilization increase
Unstable process
Cement properties modifications
• Lower C3S formation
C3S decrease = C2S + free CaO increase
• Lower C4AF content
C4AF decrease then C3S, F.CaO, FeO increases
• Belite mineralogy change
 Factors Affecting Clinker Quality

Cooling Rate
• Slow cooling depresses strength development
C3A and C4AF produce relatively large
crystals
C3S becomes unstable and degrades to
C2S + F.CaO
 Optimum Burning and Cooling Conditions

Flame shape
and position Cooler
Quick rise to
correct allows heat
maximum
• Oxidizing transfer and
temperature conditions/coal
• Small crystal ash handling of
sizes combination clinker

Short Quenching in
burning zone the kiln
• Maximum • Crystal
reactivity structure
‘frozen’ in
place
Characteristics of Clinker Phases
 Characteristics of Clinker Phases

C3S Mineral
• Main strength constituent in cement
• High initial strength and good final strength
• Rapid hydration
• Contains impurities: Mg, Al, Fe
• Difficult to burn kiln feed if C3S > 65%
 Characteristics of Clinker Phases

C2S Mineral
• Low early strength but good final strength
• Slow hydration
• Contain impurities: alkalis, Al, Fe, fluorides
• Clinker grindability adversely impacted by
higher C2S
 Characteristics of Clinker Phases

C3A Mineral
• Rapid hydration with heat development
Gypsum added to control rate
• Early strength
• Important effects on concrete quality
Plasticity/workability
Resistance to sulfates in soil/water
exposure
 Characteristics of Clinker Phases

C4AF Mineral
• Governs the color of cement
• Low or limited impact on strength
Characteristics of Clinker Phases
Minor elements
 Clinker Minor Elements

From Raw Materials

• Limestone - MgO
• Clay - K2O, Na2O, Cl
• Iron oxide - SO3

From Fuels
• Coal - Cl, K2O, Na2O
• Petcoke - SO3
• Oil/solvents- Hg, ZnO, PbO
• Plastics - Cl
• Tyres - Fe2O3
 Clinker Minor Elements

Only 3 to 6% of the clinker composition but can

influence
• Combinability
• Clinker nodulization and ring formation
• Back end blockages and build ups
• Stack emissions
• Cement quality
Clinker Minor Elements
Impact of Fuel Change
 Impact of Fuel Change

Fuel Change

Temperature in Clinker
Cement quality?
the kiln? composition?
 Impact of Fuel Change

Ash content

Process Clinker Mortar/Concrete

Reduced Poor early

C3S decrease
burnability strengths

Setting time
C2S increase
increase

Free lime Interactions with

increase the chemistry
 Impact of Fuel Change

Alkali Sulfate
Ash rings
salts rings
Mineral
volatile elements volatilization
formation
condense on first in the sinter
Sulpho-Spurrite
dust zone
2C2S.CaSO4

formation of Formation
Dust gets sticky
NaCl, KCl, encouraged by
and accumulates
CaCl2 alkalis
 Main Requirements for Good Clinker

Uniform
Raw mix chemical Rapid
meets composition cooling from
chemical (kiln feed + burning zone
requirements fuel) temperature

Raw mix is Burning zone Minimize the

ground optimized impact of
sufficiently (No reducing minor
fine conditions) elements on
clinker
quality
 Section C

Cement Grinding
 Cement Grinding

• Purpose is to increase surface area

• Last unit operation in the cement
manufacturing process
• Most critical with regard to power
consumption and quality of finished product
• Quality of the product can be modified /
altered / improved
 Cement Grinding

Quality KPI's can be divided into three major

components

A) Optimizing Clinker Quality

B) Setting Retarder Optimization
C) Mineral Additives & Grinding Aids
 Cement Testing

• Blaine
• Residue (45µ sieve)
• Normal Consistency
• Setting Time (Initial and Final)
• Expansion (Le-Chatlier & Autoclave)
• Strength
• LOI
Cement Testing
 THANK YOU
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