Question 03

The cement industry is one of the main industries that use large quantities of earth
resources as their main raw materials. Briefly describe the raw materials used and the
process of manufacture of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), with important
temperatures, reactions and process flow diagrams.
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).
Raw material composition (OPC)

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 SiO 2,
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

Portland Cement Composition

Lime (CaO)

60-66%

Excess reduces strength and make cement

disintegrate and in less amount reduces
strength and makes it quick setting.

Silica (SiO2)

17-25%

Provides strength to cement

Alumina (Al2O3)

3-8%

Helps in quick setting

Calcium
(Gypsum)

Sulphate

Enhances initial setting of cement

Iron Oxide

2-6%

Gives color, Strength and hardness.

Sulphur trioxide (SO3)

1-3%

Provides soundness

Alkali Oxides (Na2O

and K2O)

0.5-1.5%

in excess makes cement efflorescent

Magnesium
(MgO)

Oxide

1-5%

Process of manufacturing Ordinary Portland Cement

OPC manufacturing process can be expressed simply as follows,

1. Crushing
For the crushing purpose, Jaw crushers with various sizes are employed. Until the raw material
sizes reduces to inch, crushing operation should be proceed.
Then the crushed raw materials could be send to either wet process or dry process. Wet process is
the universally employed process.
2. Mixing
Wet process
Calcareous materials which was crushed, powdered and stored in bins and Argillaceous materials
which was mixed with water to remove organic impurities, 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 kiln.

 Dry Process
Hard raw materials like cement rock or blast furnace slag are first crushed to 50mm pieces in ball
mill, then dried using rotary dryers and stored.
Separate powdered ingredients are mixed in required proportions to get the raw mix which is
then fed to rotary kilns.
3. Grinding
Grinding operation could be done as two stage process. (Using a Ball mill and then Tube mill)
The ground materials containing 30 40% of water is stored in separate tanks equipped with
agitators.
4. Burning
The material is introduced in the kiln from the upper end as the kiln rotates material passes
slowly towards the lower end.
Kiln is heated by burning pulverized coal or oil and temperature is maintained at about 14001500C. At clinkering temperature actual chemical reactions takes place.

A.Drying Zone
The upper part of the kiln is known as the drying zone and its temperature is about 200-500 0C.
Hot gases evaporates the water from slurry at this stage.
B.Calcination zone
The middle zone of the kiln can be identified as calcination zone and its temperature is around at
10000C. At this zone, the Organic matter burns away and CaCO 3 decomposes to quick lime and
CO2 escapes out. The material forms small lumps called as nodules.

C.Clinkering Zone
The lowest part of the kiln at temperature 1400-1600 0C can be identified as clinkering zone.
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 Kiln.
C aCO 3 CaO+C O 2

Calcium Oxide

2CaO +SiO 2 C a 2 SiO 4

Di-Calcium Silicate

3 CaO+ SiO2 C a3 SiO 5

Tri-Calcium Silicate

3 CaO+ Al 2 O3 C a 3 Al2 O6

Tri-Calcium Aluminate

4 CaO + Al2 O3+ Fe 2 O3 C a4 Al2 Fe2 O 10

Tetra-Calcium Aluminoferrite

5. Grinding
Finally the clinkers are finely grinded using a ball mill. Some additives are added during the
grinding operation.

Dispersing agent-: Sodium salts and polymers of condensed naphthalene or sulphonic acid
are added to prevent the formation of lumps and cakes in the cement.
Water proofing agents are also added.

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).

6. Packing
Automatic controlled machines could be used to pack cement in 5oKg bags.

Important Temperatures
Reactions in Kiln

10 00 C Free water evaporates

15035 0 C Loosely bound water is lost from the clay

35065 0 0 C decompositon of clay SiO2 Al 2 O3

60 00 C decomposition of MgC O3 MgO+C O2 (evaporate)

90 00 C decomposition of CaC O3 CaO+C O2 (evaporate)

1250128 00 C Liquid formation & start of compound formation

128 0 C Clinkering begins

1400150 00 C Clinkering

10 0 C Clinker leaves the Kiln and falls into a cooler