CEMENT

Dr. Prashant Mehta

Assistant Professor,
National Law University, Jodhpur
DEFINITION

Cements are materials that exhibit

characteristic properties of setting and
hardening when mixed to a paste with
water. This makes them join rigid
masses into coherent structures. It is
powdery bonding material having
adhesive and cohesive properties.

Chemically it is a finely ground mixture

of calcium silicates and aluminates
which set to a hard mass when treated
with water. These are called as Hydraulic
Cements (Portland Cement) and those
setting in air are Non Hydraulic cements
(Ordinary Lime).

It was first made by Joseph Aspdin in

1824 in England.
 CLASSIFICATION OF CEMENT

Natural Cement: Obtained by

calcinating and pulverizing natural
cement rock of argillaceous and clay
with limestone. It does not have
sufficient strength and is cheap and
quick setting & have hydraulic
properties.

Pozzolana Cement: Volcanic ash

containing silicates of calcium, iron
and aluminum when mixed with lime
and heated produces this cement.

Slag Cement: Mixture of blast

furnace slag (Ca and Al Silicates) and
hydrated lime. Sometimes accelerators
like clay, salt, caustic soda are added
to hasten hardening process.

Portland Cement: It consists of

compounds of lime, silica, alumina and
iron. When mixed with water it forms
a paste which binds the rock, sand
and gravel to form concrete.
 PORTLAND CEMENT COMPOSITION

Lime (CaO) 60- Excess reduces strength

66% and make cement
disintegrate and in less
amount reduces strength
and makes it quick
setting.
Silica (SiO2) 17- Provides strength to
25% cement
Alumina 3-8% Helps in quick setting
(Al2O3)
Calcium Enhances initial setting
Sulphate of cement
(Gypsum)
Iron Oxide 2-6% Gives color, Strength and
hardness.
Sulphur 1-3% Provides soundness
trioxide
(SO3)
 RAW MATERIALS

Calcareous Materials : Supplies Lime to cement

Lime Stone (65-80% CaCO3), Marl, Chalk, Shale, Calcite,
Alkali waste. It should contain less than 3.3% of MgO
and 3-4% of SiO2, Fe2O3, and AlO2 combined.

Argillaceous Materials : Supplies Silica, Alumina and

Iron Oxide. Clay, Marl, Shale, Blast Furnace Slag, sand
etc. Here Silica provides strength, Alumina imparts quick
setting, iron provides color, strength and hardness.

Gypsum: increases setting time.

Powdered Coal and Fuel Oil: For generating required

temperatures.
 MANUFACTURE OF PORTLAND CEMENT

Crushing
Mixing (Wet Process)
Mixing (Dry Process)
Grinding (Ball Mill and Tube
Mill)
Storage of Ground Materials
Burning
Drying Zone
Calcination Zone
Clinkering Zone
Grinding
Retarder
Dispersing Agent
Water Proofing

Packaging
 CRUSHING

This is the first step in the manufacture

of Portland Cement.

Jaw crushers of various sizes are

employed for the crushing purpose.

Raw materials are crushed by crushers

till the size of the raw material reduces
to of an inch.

It is than send for either Wet process or

Dry process. Wet process is universally
employed.
 MIXING WET PROCESS
Calcareous materials are crushed, powdered and stored in bins.
Argillaceous materials is mixed with water and washed. This removes
any adhering organic impurities.
Powdered Calcareous and Washed Argillaceous materials are mixed in
proper proportions to get a slurry.
Chemical composition is analyzed and corrected if necessary by addition
of the deficient materials.
This slurry is then fed into the rotary klin.
 MIXING DRY PROCESS

Hard raw materials like cement rock

or blast furnace slag are first
crushed to 50mm pieces in ball mill,
then dried and stored.

Crushing is done by gyratory

crushers and drying is done by
rotary driers.

Separate powdered ingredients are

mixed in required proportions to get
the raw mix which is then fed to
rotary klins.
 GRINDING

Grinding can be done in two stages

Ball Mill

Consists of cast iron drum containing

iron and steel balls of different sizes.
The principle used in ball mill s
impact and shear produced by large
no. of tumbling and rolling balls.

Tube Mill

Ball mill grinding is followed by tube

mill grinding. Tube mill is conical at
the discharge end with separate inlet
and outlet.
Slower is the feeding speed finer is
the product coming out of the tube
mill.
 STORAGE OF GROUND MATERIALS

The ground materials containing 30 40% of water is

stored in separate tanks equipped with agitators.

This step is followed by process of burning.

 BURNING

Slurry is burnt in rotary klin where actual chemical changes takes place.

Klin is long steel cylinder 30-40 meter in length, 2-4 meter in diameter, lined by refractory
bricks. It is inclined at gradient of 0.5-0.75 inch and can be rotated at the desired speed.

The material is introduced in the klin from the upper end as the klin rotates material
passes slowly towards the lower end.

Klin is heated by burning pulverized coal or oil and temperature is maintained at about
1400-1500C. At clinkering temperature actual chemical reactions takes place.
 BURNING ZONE

A. DRYING ZONE
The upper part of the klin is known as drying zone.
The temperature is about 200-500C.
Most of the water gets evaporated from the slurry by means of hot gases.

B. CALCINATING ZONE
This the middle zone of the klin with temperature around 1000C.
Organic matter burns away and CaCO3 decomposes to quick lime and CO2
escapes out. The material forms small lumps called as nodules.
 BURNING ZONE

C. CLINKERING ZONE
This is lowest portion of Klin with a temperature of about
1400-1600C. Lime and clay nodules melts with chemical
fusion and gives calcium aluminates and silicates. These
silicates and aluminates then fuse together to form small
hard stones called Clinkers which than fall down from
lower end of the Klin.

CaCO3 CaO + CO2 Calcium Oxide

2CaO + SiO2 Ca2SiO4 Dicalcium Silicate
3CaO + SiO2 Ca3SiO5 Tricalcium Silicate
3CaO + Al2O3 Ca3Al2O6 Tricalcium Aluminate
4CaO + Al2O3+Fe2O3 Ca4Al2Fe2O10 Tetracalcium Aluminoferrite
CONSTITUTION OF CLINKERS
Clinkers are cooled under controlled condition to produce a definite
degree of crystallization.

Clinker Constitution
Ca2SiO4 Dicalcium Silicate
Ca3SiO5 Tricalcium Silicate
Ca3Al2O6 Tricalcium Aluminate
Ca4Al2Fe2O10 Tetracalcium Aluminoferrite
MgO Magnesia
Cao When burning is incomplete
 GRINDING

Clinkers are finally grinded in ball mill and tube mill to a

fine powder. Additives added are as follows.

Retarder
Gypsum CaSO4.2H2O or Plaster of Paris CaSO4.H2O
acts as retarder to prevent quick setting. After initial
setting gypsum retards the dissolution of tricalcium
aluminate by forming tricalcium sulphoaluminate
(3CaO.Al2O3.xCaSO4.7H2O).

Dispersing Agent
Sodium salts and polymers of condensed napthlene or
sulphonic acid are added to prevent the formation of
lumps and cakes in the cement.
Water proofing agents are also added.
PACKAGING

The ground powder is

packed by automatic
machines in a 50kg bag.

This is then dispatched to

the markets where it is
sold for constructions of
cities.
 CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF
PORTLAND CEMENT
Ca2SiO4 Dicalcium Silicate 25% 28 days 420KJ/Kg

Ca3SiO5 Tricalcium Silicate 45% 7 days 880KJ/Kg

Ca3Al2O6 Tricalcium Aluminate 1% 1 day 879KJ/Kg

Ca4Al2Fe2O10 Tetracalcium Aluminoferrite 9% 1 day 418KJ/Kg

MgO Magnesia 4%

Cao Incomplete burning 2%

CaSO4 Calcium Sulphate 5%

 SPECIFICATIONS OF PORTLAND
CEMENT
Lime saturation fraction = CaO / 2.8 SiO2 + 1.2 Al2O3 + 0.65 Fe2O3
= 0.66. To 1.02

The ratio of Al2O3 / Fe2O3 < 0.66

SiO2 / Al2O3 = 2.5 to 4.0

Weight of insoluble residue < 1.5%

Weight of Magnesia < 5%

Total sulphur content calculated as SO3 < 2.75%

Total loss of ignition should be less than 4%

OTHER SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

Fineness generates lot of heat quickly hence cement

mortar or concrete is likely to develop cracks.
Setting time initially - 30 minutes and finally not mare
than 600 minutes.
Tensile Strength after 3 days 300lbs.sq. inch and
after 7 days 375 lbs/sq. inch.
Compressive Strength after 3 days 300lbs.sq. inch
and after 7 days 375 lbs/sq. inch.
Heat of Hydration within 7 days 65 cal/gm and in 28
days 75 cal/gm.
Soundness is the ability of a cement to maintain stable
volume after setting. A sound cement resists cracking
and disintegrating.
VERTICAL SHAFT KLIN TECHNOLOGY

Vertical shaft klin technology has been successfully

employed by mini cement plants. The VSK have pan
noduliser or pelletiser. The uniform pellets so formed
can be fed into the vertical shaft Klin and the cement
can be produced. Proper proportions of raw material
must be taken to get good quality of clinkers.

Black Metal Process : Raw materials are ground

along with coal and then converted into pellets with
about 15% water.

Fuel Slurry Process: Raw materials are dry ground

and coal is wet ground separately and then mixed to
get pellets which move down VSK.
ADVANTAGES OF VERTICAL SHAFT KLIN

Vertical Shaft Klin has following advantages:

No dust discharge in the atmosphere due to pellets.

Clinker clogging is avoided because no low melting

constituents are formed.

Wearing of grinder machinery and cost of grinding is removed

Plant is quite compact.

 CHEMISRTY OF SETTING

Cement forms paste like mass with water resulting in

hydration of compounds of cement. This mass then
becomes stiff and hard. This change of fluid to solid is
known as setting of cement.
The process of solidification comprises of three stages:

Initial Setting It is mainly due to the hydration of

tricalcium aluminate and gel formation of tricalcium
aluminoferrite. Dicalcium silicate also contributes to
initial setting.

Final Setting mainly due to the formation of

tobermonite gel and crystallization of calcium
hydroxide and hydration of tricalcium aluminate. The
concrete can neither be moulded into any shape nor it
can be remixed.
 CHEMISRTY OF HARDENING

During hardening the solid cement

material begins to gain strength. It
depends upon the chemical
combination of cement and water.
Hardening starts with great speed but
finally its speed reduces. The
hardening of concrete stops and it is
dried out.

The hydration reactions are

exothermic and the volume of cement
increases with hydration.

Hydrated cement dissociates on

heating by destroying the bond which
held the mass together.
 REACTIONS INVOLVED

2(3CaO.SiO2) + 6H2O 3CaO.2SiO2.3H2O + 3Ca(OH)2

2(2CaO.SiO2) + 4H2O 3CaO.2SiO2.3H2O + Ca(OH)2

3CaO.Al2O3 + 30H2O + 3(CaSO4.2H2O)

3CaO.Al2O3.3CaSO4.36H2O

4CaO.Al2O3.Fe2O3 + 10H2O + 2Ca(OH)2 6CaO.Al2O3.Fe2O3.12H2O

Decay of cement : Cements are susceptible to

attack by salty water and acidic solutions