Cement

Definition
Cement is a binder.
In construction, hydraulic cement is usually
used.
Hydraulic cement is cement that can reacts
with water and hardens under water
Hydraulic cement is composed of three main
elements: CaO, Silica and Alumina.
Cement is divided into 3 different groups:
natural cement, Portland cement and
aluminate cement.

History
Cement has its long lasting history dated
since the construction of pyramids in
Egypt. It was calcined pure gypsum.
In 2000.A.J, Romans and Greek first used
calcined limestone.
Later, Romans improved by burning lime
with volcanic ash containing silica and
alumina.

History
The name Pouzzolanic cement was
given to cement due to the combination of
Pouzzolan and lime
The good cement was found by burning
lime with clay.
In 1756, Mr. Jonh Smeaton found that the
best binder was obtained by burning lime
with 20-25% of clay. This was similar to
the current Portland stone.

History
In 1818, Louis Joseph Vica (french,17861861) found hydraulic cement by blending
lime with clay.
In 1824, Mr. Joseph Aspdin conducted
research and produced Portland cement
by burning clay and limestone until CO2
was decomposed from stone. The clinker
quality was not good

History
In 1845, Mr. Isaac Johnson burned clay
with chalk to form clinker. The temperature
and burning manner were fixed. The
Portland cement knew its spread use.
The word Portland was adopted because
the clinker has similar to the limestone in
the region Portland in England.

Compositions
Cement: hydraulic cement is a body which
can set with water and harden under water
and resistant to water.
Compositions:
Tricalcium silicate C3S
Bicalcium silicate C2S
Tricalcium aluminate C3A
Tetracalcium alumino-ferrite C4AF

C3S: tricalcium silicate

Active component of cement

Present as alite
Release high heat of hydration
High strength at early age
C3S is decomposed as C2S and CaO at
1900oC

C2S: bicalcium silicate

Provide long-term strength of cement
Present as belite
Low heat of hydration

C3A: tricalcium aluminate

The first component for reaction
Present as cellite
Fast set and give very high heat of
hydration.
Give early strength
The fast set is solved by adding some of
gypsum

C4AF: tetracalcium alumino-ferrrite

No important role in cement reaction
No contribution to strength
Important role during clinkerization

Early and low heat cements

The proportions of compounds: C3S, C2S,
C3A and C4AF affect the type of cements
For all high early strength (alite cement), the
content of C3S>60% and C2S<15%
For low heat cement (belite cement), the
content of C3S<37,5% and C2S>37,5%

There are different classes depending on

its mechanical properties

Set and hardening

The set and hardening processes are
properties of cement affecting many
aspects of concrete placement and
formwork removal.
These processes are closely concerned
with cement reaction mechnaism

Cement reaction
When water is poured:
C3A is the first to react
C3A dissolves and cristallizes
C3S reacts to form gels of hydrates: CSH
(Calcium silicate hydrate) and CH (Calcium
hydroxide)
the cement particles are covered by gel
surrounded with solution saturated of CH and
crystals of tricalcium aluminate.

Cement reaction
The reaction continues:
The amount of hydrates increases at the same time
that the water has difficulty to diffuse and get in
contact with cement
When the thickness of hydrates becomes thick, water
is stopped and the hydration can take place only with
water inside gel. The set occurs in this phase
Then, gel is dried due to the loss of free water
Hardening is started by evaporation of water and by
ageing of gel of hydrates

Cement reactions
In the hydrated cement,
Portlandite (CH) is formed
CSH (calcium silicate hydrated): settle by
hanging hydrate needles to form very stiff and
complicated network of hydrate
Some hydroxide of minor minerals

Physical properties
Specific gravity: the weight per specific
volume.
It is in general 3,10-3,23 g/cm3.
Test with Chatelier

Cement sieving
Cement can be sieved with sedimetometry.
The grain sizes range from 0,4 m to 80 m.

Physical properties
Form of cement particles.
Cement powder is obtained by grinding,
milling and particles are coarse and angular

Specific surface
Surface area per weight: cm2/g, m2/kg. higher
than 2500 cm2/g.
Test by permeability method: Blaine method,..
The higher the specific surface, the finer the
cement.

Cement Production
Extraction of raw materials
Meal preparations
Clinkerization and addition of gypsum

Extraction method of raw materials

Tender rocks
The excavators can be used to collect raw
materials

Hard rocks
Bore holes are made for explosives
Explosives are used to break rocks and
collect raw materials

After taken from quarry, the raw materials

are pre-ground by drop-ball.

Extraction method of raw materials

Raw material grinding
The raw is sent to the grinding center where
the raw is fragmented to have size of 10-20
mm.
Normally the grinding is not successful at one
time, two grinding processes are made.

Meal preparation

Wet method
Dry method
Semi-wet method
Semi-dry method

Meal preparation and sintering

Wet method
Used long ago, many cement industries use
wet method.
Lime and clay are blended and ground (2842% of water) to paste
Paste is stocked with continuous mixing. The
composition can be controlled
Paste is then sent to kiln where clinker is
produced.

Meal preparation and sintering

Wet method
In kiln (100 m long cylinder), 3 principal parts
are made
Drying: water is remove from paste
Decarbonisation: CaCO3 is decomposed
Clinkerisation: formation of C3S, C2S, C3A
and C4AF.

The method is popular in the past. Now to

high power consumption, other method is
proposed.

Meal preparation and sintering

Dry method
Materials are ground to obtain powder of
100m.
Powder is stocked in center with air injection
to keep powder as fluid
Powder is sent by pump to pre-heater
(composed of cyclones)
Then sent to the turning kiln where clinker is
formed

Meal preparation and sintering

Dry method
Disadvantages
Segregation between clay and lime in preheater
Release of dust, the producers have to pay
installation for dust-trapping.

Meal preparation and sintering

Semi-wet method
Raw materials are ground under water like
wet method.
Paste is then compressed to reduce water
content to 18-20% and paste blocks of 20 mm
diameter are formed
Paste blocks are then sent to preheater and
then heater.

Meal preparation and sintering

Semi-dry method
Raw materials are ground to form ballets (1020 mm) in dry by granulators.
12-14% of water is sent to the granulators to
form long ballets.
Sintering is the same as semi-wet method.

Temperature and formed

compounds

Dehydration and dehydroxylations 20-600oC

Decarbonation: 550-950oC
Breakdown of alumino-silicates: 600-950oC
Solid state of reactions C2S, CA: 5501250oC
Liquid phase formation C3A, C4AF: 12501300oC
Silicate formation: 1300-1450oC

Clinker grinding
All 4 methods produce finally clinker which
is taken to produce cement.
Clinker is ground to have high fineness
Clinker is then mixed with some additions
to get a type of cement.

Different types of cement

Rapid-hardening Portland cement

Low heat cements
Sulfate resisting cements
White cement and pigments
Supersulfated cements
High-alumina cements
Blast furnace cements
Pozzolana cement

Other additions

Fly ash
Silica fume
Fillers
Ground granulated slag