CEMENT

Concrete can be classified into two groups, namely active and inactive. The active group
consists of cement and water and inactive group consists of fine and coarse aggregates. The
inactive group is also called as inert matrix. Cement has both adhesive and cohesive properties
that provide a binding medium for the discrete ingredients.
Production: The common calcareous materials are limestone, chalk, oyster shells and marl
where as the argillaceous materials are clay, shale, slate and selected blast-furnance slag.Cement
is produced by burning a mixture of naturally occring argillaceous ( containg alumina) and
calcareous material ( containing calcium carbonate or lime) in a definite proportion to a partial
fusion at high temperature about 1450 0C. The poroduct obtained on burning , called clinker, is
cooled and ground to the required fineness to produce cement.

Raw materials used to derive the chemical components of cement

Calcium (Ca) Silica (SiO2) Alumina (Al2O3) Iron Oxide (Fe2O3)

Limestone Sand Clay Iron ore

Shale Clay Shale Clay

Marl Shale Slag Mill scale

Marl

Manufacturing Process
a) Raw material acquisition
b) Clinker production in a kiln: wet process, dry process (75% use this), and the
preheater/precalciner process. Five distinct process that occur in a kiln are drying,
preheating, calcining, sintering and cooling
c) Cement grinding, packing and distribution: Clinker is ground with gypsum and
supplementary cementitious material ( i.e. lime stone, granulated slag and fly ash) to form
cement powder. Gypsum about 3% of weight of clinker is added to regulate the setting
time and improve soundness.
Composition and properties:
Oxide composition of Portland cement
Oxide compound Percentage

Lime CaO 60-67

Silica SiO2 17-25

Alumina Al2O3 3-8

Iron Oxide Fe2O3 0.5-0.6

Magnesia MgO 0.5-4

Sulphur trioxide SO3 0.3-1.2

Soda and/or Potash Na2O/K2O 2-3.5

Others 0-1

Loss of ignition 1-2

Insoluble residue 0-0.5

Composition of Portland cement

Compound Chemical formula Symbol Percentage by mass in

cement

Tricalcium silicate 3CaO SiO2 C3S 30-50

Dicalcium silicate 2CaO SiO2 C2S 20-45

Tricalcium aluminate 3CaO Al2O3 C3A 8-12

Tetracalcium alumino 3CaO Al2O3Fe2O3 C4AF 6-10

ferrite

The two silicates constitutes ( i.e. C3S and C2S ) about 70 -80 percent of the cement control
strength giving properties. Upon hydration, both the silicates give the same product called
calcium silicate hydrate (C3S2H3) and calcium hydroxide. C3S provides a faster rate of reaction
accompanied by greater heat evolution and develops early strength. C2S hydrates and hardens
slowly and provides much of ultimate strength. Though C3S and C2S need approximately 24 and
21 percent water by weight respectively for chemical reaction, on hydration C3S liberates
calcium hydroxide three times more than C2S. C2S provides more resistance to chemical attack.

Tricalciumaluminate reacts fast with water and may lead to an immediate stiffening of paste and
this process is termed flash set. The role of gypsum added in the manufacture of cement is to
prevent such a fast reaction. C3A reacts with 40 percent water by mass and is more than that
required for silicates. As the amount of C3A in cement is comparativelysmall, the net water
required for hydration of cement is not substantially affected. It provides wak resistance against
sulphate attack and its contribution to the development of strength of cement is less significant
compared to silicates. However, it contributes considerably to durability. The hydration of C 4AF
is is similar to that of C3A and the same products are formed. However, it reacts slowly and
hence generates heat and combines well with gypsum.

Cement Chemistry:
The reaction of cement when mixed with water is called hydration.At any stage of hydration, the
cement paste consists of gel (i.e. a finely grained product of hydration having large surface area),
the remnant of unreacted cement,calcium hydroxide, and water, besides some other minor
compounds.The crystals of different resulting compounds form an interlocking random three-
dimensional network gradually filling the space originally occupied by the water, resulting in
stiffening and subsequent development of strength. Hence, the hardened cement paste has a
porous structure having both gel pores and capillary pores. The pores may or may not be
continuous. As the hydration proceeds, the deposit of hydration products on the original cement
grain makes the diffusion of water to unhydrated nucleus more and more difficult thus reducing
the rate of hydration.

2C3S + 6H → C3S2H3 + 3Ca(OH)2

[100] [24] [75] [49]
2C2S + 4H → C3S2H3 + Ca(OH)2
[100] [21] [99] [22]
C3A + 6H → C3AH6
[100] [40] [140]
C4AF+ H → C3AH6+ CFH

Types of Cement:
a) Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) : Grade 33, Grade 43 and Grade 53
b) Low-alkali Cement
c) Portland Pozzolona Cement (PPC)
d) Rapid-hardening Portland Cement
e) Portland Blast-furnanca slag Cement (PBSC)
f) Portland Slag Cement (PSC)
 g) Sulphate Resisting Portland Cement (SRPC)
h) Low-heat Portland Cement (LHC)
i) Hydrophobic Cement
j) Oil Well Cement
k) White Cement

Special cements:
Special cements are cements that serve some specific function such as altering the setting or
hardening behavior of a concrete, producing different colors for architectural effects, imparting
superior workability, imparting water retention and plasticity to mortars, resisting the penetration
of water in walls or containment vessels or simply reducing the cost of the cementing agent.
Those described include: blended hydraulic cements (Portland blast-furnace slag, Portland-
pozzolan, and slag); cements with special setting and hardening properties (Type III, rapid-
setting Portland, high alumina/calcium aluminate/aluminous, magnesia-phosphate, oil-well);
cements with special colors (white Portland and buff-colored); water-repellant; masonry and
expansive cements.Expansive cements are used in shrinkage-compensating concretes. These
concretes find application in concrete structures, especially floors and slabs, where normal
drying shrinkage cracking is undesirable.