On-line quality control

Instrumentation
For the cement industry

By

Sylvie VALERO
ITECA - France
 CENTRALISED LABORATORY
Precalciner
Cement
Additives Silo
Additives Blending Silos
Quarry
Raw Mill Clinker Cement
Preblending
Silo Mill
Crusher Cooler
Kiln

S
Screw
sampler
Sampling tower Chute

Air cooling Homogenisation

hopper
Piston sampler

Sending
station
Electrical
cabinet
Diverter

Quarry sampling Raw Mix Hot Meal Cement

sampling sampling sampling To the lab
 CENTRALISED LABORATORY
Loss of Ignition
analyser
Receiving
CO2/SO3 station
analyser

Rotative
distributing
arm
Raw Mix

Manual sample introduction

Cement
Supervision

Composite
samples
storage

Press Mill

Automatic
conveyor

Dedusting Automation
XRD XRF
cabinet
 ON LINE PROCESS CONTROL
Precalciner
Cement
Additives Silo
Additives Blending Silos
Quarryy
Q
Raw Mill Clinker Cement
Preblending
Silo Mill
Crusher Cooler
Kiln

FX 3000 Ignition Loss Free Lime CO2 - SO3 Particle Size

Al - Fe - Ca - Si – S - P – K - Cl

10/h 2/h 5/h 4/h Continuous

RAW MIX HOT MEAL CLINKER CEMENT
 ON LINE PROCESS CONTROL

Advantages over centralised automatic laboratory

„ Analysis at a higher frequency

Æ energy savings and more stable quality

„ Cheaper systems

„ Simpler to operate

„Independent systems
Æ no risk of having
g no analysis
y at all in
the whole plant
 PROBLEM : RAW MIX IS UNSTABLE

SOLUTION : ON LINE RAW MIX CONTROL

RAW MIX CONTROL

RAW MIX ANALYSER FX 3000

RAW MIX CONTROL

Requirements
R i t for
f an efficient
ffi i t
raw mix control system

¾ Representative
p & reliable sampling
p g system
y

¾ High
g quality
q y sample
p preparation
p p

¾ Repeatable
p & reliable analysis
y

¾ High
g frequency
y control
RAW MIX CONTROL

Representative and reliable sampling system

Screw sampler with variable
pitch & speed PREC 100

Rotating Spoon Homogenisation

sampler PGR hopper

Homogenisation Piston sampler P11

hopper

Piston sampler P11

To the analyser or
transport system

Vl
Valves
RAW MIX CONTROL

Automatic raw mix sampling system

LAFARGE Tetouan (Morocco)
RAW MIX CONTROL
High
g quality
q y sample
p preparation
p p

Patented grinding system

High density Tungsten Carbide
No grinding aid required
Grinding
vessell Short grinding time: 90s

Results
Average particle size: 3μ

90 % of particles < 16μ

RAW MIX CONTROL

Raw Mix Analyser FX3000

RAW MIX CONTROL
Raw Mix Analyser
y FX3000

Volumetric dosing system

Puck and mill grinder

Variable frequency drive

 RAW MIX CONTROL
Raw Mix Analyser
y FX3000

5 drops of alcohol are added

directly into the grinder

The ground material is then

prepared and analysed using a
Labx3500 from Oxford Instruments
RAW MIX CONTROL

Integrated XRF from Oxford Instrument

Labx3500
RAW MIX CONTROL

Results obtained by Italcementi for the

Borgo San Dalmazzo plant raw mix

Unground Fused bead Mill and press FX3000 On line analyzer

R Std Err R Std Err R Std Err R Std Err
SiO2 0,957 0,688 0,999 0,091 0,998 0,136 0,998 0,129
Al2O3 0,927 0,142 0,997 0,032 0,986 0,063 0,975 0,084
Fe2O3 0,962 0,085 0,996 0,029 0,996 0,027 0,994 0,035
CaO 0,988 0,257 0,998 0,099 0,998 0,097 0,997 0,119

Regression on the analysis of 20 different samples

RAW MIX CONTROL
Raw Mix Analyser
y FX3000

12 analysis per hour

Standard deviation on main elements :
Ca : 0.1
Si : 0.1
Al : 0.03
Fe : 0.01
PROBLEM : CALCINATION STABILZATION
SOLUTION : ON LINE HOT MEAL CONTROL
HOT MEAL CONTROL

IGNITION LOSS ANALYSER PF1K

HOT MEAL CONTROL

Hot Meal Sampler

HOT MEAL CONTROL
Ignition
g loss Analyser
y

High T° sampling (± 950 °C)

Air cooling to stop decarbonation

Measurement of rate of
decarbonation

2 analysis/h
PROBLEM : CLINKER IS OVERBURNT OR FREE
LIME IS UNSTABLE

SOLUTION : ON LINE FREE LIME ANALYSER

CLINKER CONTROL

FREE LIME ANALYSER KLC3

CLINKER CONTROL

Representative and reliable sampling system

Directly at kiln discharge:

High T°
T° sampler PHT 100

In the 3rd or 4th compartment of a grate cooler:

Under gr
grate
ate sampler PT 103

At the cooler discharge:

After clinker crusher PP 101

CLINKER CONTROL

R
Representative
t ti and
d reliable
li bl sampling
li system
t
Kiln Discharge Sampler

2 pneumatic cylinders

Air cooling

Bulk pneumatic transport

CLINKER CONTROL

Representative and reliable sampling system

Kiln Discharge Sampler
Cooling nozzle

Sampling
p g
slots

Discharge jack

Sampler
S l after
ft 15 years
of operation
CLINKER CONTROL

Representative and reliable sampling system

Under Grate Sampler

Cooler

300 cm3
Residues
valves
Excess Clinker
CLINKER CONTROL

Representative and reliable sampling system

Under Grate Sampler

Centering
spout
under
drilled
grates

Fine
particles
elimination
CLINKER CONTROL

Bulk pneumatic transport

Maximum distance: 200 m

Diverter

Receiving cyclone Sending station

CLINKER CONTROL

Bulk Pneumatic transport

CLINKER CONTROL

F
Free Lime
Li Analyser
A l KLC3

Grinding Analysis Automation

CLINKER CONTROL
Free Lime Analyser KLC3

5 analysis/h

Analysis cell

Mill

Weighing of clinker and glycol

Heating
Mixing clinker + glycol
Conductivity measurement
CLINKER CONTROL

Free Lime and Kiln Data

Tokuyama Soda Japan

CLINKER CONTROL

Free Lime and Kiln Data

¾ A high frequency free lime measurement is required (< 20 mn)

¾ Free Lime / Burning Zone T°/

T / Kiln Amps and NOx are closely
correlated over the short term

¾ Over the long term the relation between Free Lime / BZT/ Kiln Amps
and NOx changes
CLINKER CONTROL

Operational experience
Lafarge Ravena NY USA % free lime

1
0,9
08
0,8
% Free lime

0,7
0,6
0,5
K-1
04
0,4
0,3
K-2
0,2
0,1
0
1 2 3

Date

1 : Analysis not used to control the kiln (over burnt clinker)

2:M
Manuall control
t l off kiln
kil using
i free
f lime
li (higher
(hi h free
f lime
li rate
t but
b t unstable)
t bl )
3 : LinkMan connected to the analyser (stable and higher free lime rate)
CLINKER CONTROL

Direct Savings
A 0,5 % increase in free lime results in :

¾ 15 Kcal / Kg CK of fuel savings

¾ 1 KWh / Ton CK of electricity savings

Indirect Savings
¾ Manual analysis labour cost

¾ Cost of handling production rejects

¾ Post production incident costs

CLINKER CONTROL

O Line
On Li XRD Analysis
A l i

Solid state detector

CLINKER CONTROL

O Line
On Li XRD Analysis
A l i

It is possible with this analyser to determine

all the phases of clinker

¾ determine the real clinker quality, not the

one calculated by Bogue

¾ increase the use of alternative fuels, and

determine their effects on clinker, real time.
 CEMENT CONTROL

CARBON SULPHUR PARTICLE SIZE

ANALYSER ANALYSER
PROBLEM : GYPSUM / LIMESTONE ADDITIONS
ARE UNSTABLE AND NOT OPTIMZED

SOLUTION : ON LINE C/S CONTROL

CEMENT CONTROL

Representative and reliable sampling system

Screw sampler PREC 100

CEMENT CONTROL

Carbon Sulphur Analyser

Measurement of limestone and gypsum additives

CEMENT CONTROL

C b Sulphur
Carbon S l h Analyser
A l

200 crucible storage system

CEMENT CONTROL

C b Sulphur
Carbon S l h Analyser
A l

Integrated ELTRA Analyser CS800

4 analysis/h
PROBLEM : FINENESS AND STRENGTHS ARE UNSTABLE

SOLUTION : ON LINE PARTICLE SIZE CONTROL

CEMENT CONTROL

Particle Size Analyser

Continuous measurement
CEMENT CONTROL

Particle Size Analyser

Vertical
chute at
classifier
outlet
Sampling in a
vertical chute

ITECA
Sampling
g
system
MALVERN
Insitec
CEMENT CONTROL
Particle Size Analyser
y
Cement

Vertical
chute
h t att
Schematic separator
outlet
MALVERN
Insitec

ITECA
Sampling
system
t
CEMENT CONTROL
Particle Size Analyser
In situ installations

LAFARGE Milaki ITALCEMENTI Rombas

(Greece) (France)
CEMENT CONTROL
Particle Size Analyser
Application: Ashgrove Leamington USA
CEMENT CONTROL
Particle Size Analyser
Application: Ashgrove Leamington USA
CEMENT CONTROL
Particle Size Analyser
Grinding optimisation
300

250

200

150 Q1 Q4 1998 during

Q1-Q4
manual control

100 Q3-Q4 1999 during

automatic control

50

Production increase
Ciments Calcia : +5%
Grasim Bathinda : + 5%
Ash Grove : +8%
Consumption decrease : 4 to 8 % Return on investments
Production stability : standard deviation reduced by 20 to 40 %
 ON LINE PROCESS CONTROL
C
Conclusions
l i

„ Complete On Line instrumentation to control the cement

manufacturing process

„ Higher frequency results, means that it is possible to better

control the process, and therefore save energy costs

„ Typical payback for each of these instruments is < 1 YEAR

 ON LINE PROCESS CONTROL
References

„ Raw Mix control: 15 analysers

„ Hot Meal control: 10 analysers
„ Clinker control: 95 analysers
„ Cement control: 80 analysers

Customers: LAFARGE, ITALCEMENTI, HOLCIM,

VICAT, CIMPOR, CEMEX, TITAN, ASHGROVE,
BUZZI, HEIDELBERG, VOTORANTIM…
THANK YOU FOR
YOUR ATTENTION