Grinding

Products & Intro to Quality

Update April 07
 Grinding…

 Necessary
– to increase surface area so that a good
chemical reaction occurs (Blaine)
– to reduce particle size and ensure that all of
it will be consumed (mesh sieves and micron
sizes)

 Uses ~ 60% of plant electricity

2
  Grinding & product performance

 Milling system influence

 Grindability

 Impact of additives

3
  Grinding & product performance

 Milling system influence

 Grindability

 Impact of additives

4
 How does milling
affect product performance ?

Two factors:
 Physical Parameters
– Surface Area
– Particle size distribution (PSD)

 Influence on Sulphate phases

– Form of SO3 (mill temperature)

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 Fineness & performance

Fine ground cement Coarse ground cement

Higher SSA* Lower SSA*
Less Coarse Particles More Coarse Particles
 
More Reactive Cement Less Reactive Cement
Higher Strengths Lower Strengths

* Specific Surface Area

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 Particle Size Distribution

PSD impacts:
 Water demand

 Workability

 Setting time

 Strength development

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  Grinding & product performance

 Milling system influence

 Grindability

 Impact of additives

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 Milling system influence on PSD

High efficiency
separator
Closed circuit
Percent retained

Open circuit

Coarse Fine

PSD’s for all 3 mill circuit systems

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 Milling system influence
on product quality
More coarse particles
 less complete hydration & lower strengths
An example:

Mill Type % Hydrated 28 Day strength

Open Circuit 81.3 56

Closed circuit 86.1 59

HES 92.5 63

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  Grinding & product performance

 Milling system influence

 Grindability

 Impact of additives

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 Grindability

 Evaluation of required energy to reach a certain

level of fineness

 Measured thanks to BB10 test

(Lafarge standard test)
– estimation of industrial kW depending on the
fineness
– can be done for raw mix material or for clinker

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 Clinker Grindability & Energy

90
Minimum
80
Average
70 Maximum
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
2500 3000 3500 4000 4500

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 Brainstorming

Which parameters influence

clinker grindability?

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 Main parameters

Belite % Energy
Grindability
Belite / alite consumption

Energy
SO3 ck % Grindability
consumption

Burning Energy
Grindability
zone consumption

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 Other parameters

Clinker Energy
Grindability
temperature consumption

Crystal size % Energy

Grindability
consumption

Energy
MgO content Grindability
consumption

Clinker Energy
Grindability
porosity consumption

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 Influence of belite

A "Hard" to grind:

C2S
+ 10 % C2S + 5 kWh/t
( @ 350 m2/kg )
 Influence of belite

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 Grindability, a question of chemistry

% X Y Y-X
LSF Clinker 94,50 98,60 + 4,10
C3 S 56 64 +8
C2 S 22 15 -7
C3 A 10,20 9,60 =
C4 A F 8,20 8,00 =
Free CaO 1,27 1,30 =

kWh/t BB10 46,70 44,40 - 2,30

SSB BB10 ( cm2/g ) 3680 3710 =
kWh/t Indus 53,10 51,60 - 1,50
2 d. strength 32,0 35,5 + 3,5

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 Influence of SO3 in clinker

If:
* Molar ratio

SO3 > Na2O , K2O *

• finer clinker
• 1% excess SO3 + 5 kWh / t
@ 350 m2 / kg

Excess SO3 = SO3ck - 1.29 (% total alkalies eq. Na2O)

 Influence of SO3 in clinker

 Finer clinker

Passing (%)
100,0
90,0
80,0
70,0 Gypsum raw mix
60,0 SO3 = 1,3
50,0
40,0
Normal raw mix
30,0 SO3 = 0,1
20,0
10,0
0,0
20 16 12,5 10 8 5 2,5 1,25

Seive size (mm)

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 Influence of SO3 in clinker

 Clinker harder to grind

4800

4600
Number of turns BB10

4400

4200

4000

3800
y = 1008 x + 3255
R 2 = 0.66
3600

3400

0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6

SO3 Clinker

(to reach 350 m2 / kg )

Cantagalo

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 Shorter Burning Zone
= Better Grindability
kWh / t
75

70

65
BB 10

60

55

50

45
°C
1050 1100 1150 1200 1250 1300 1350 1400 1450
Port la Nouvelle

Temperature zone
  Grinding & product performance

 Milling system influence

 Grindability

 Impact of additives

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 Various grindability

Pz is above 6000SSBin the cement

7000

6000
Limestone
Blaine (cm²/g)

Pozzolana
5000
Clinker
Slag
4000 KK + 15% Pz
KK + 30% Pz

3000

2000

1000
10 20 30 40 50 60
Specific grinding energy (kWh/t)

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 First impact: clinker is diluted

Less clinker in the cement

In order to keep the same strength

The clinker needs to be ground finer

clinker = +1MPa@ 2d +5% inerte = -2MPa @ 2d

+0.8 MPa @ 28d -3MPa @ 28d

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 Second impact: grindability

Soft addition Hard addition

Additive gets very fine

Wear of grinding media

Coating

Grinding efficiency is strongly reduced

kWh/t  Only for

Mill production  Co-grinding

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 Third impact: moisture
Wet additives

Risk of pre-hydration of cement Grinding efficiency reduced

when > 2% H2O on fresh feed

Reduced strengths

Finer grinding to compensate!

Only for
kWh/t  Co-grinding
Mill production 
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 Fourth impact: additive size

Additive potentially much bigger than

clinker (limestone or pouzzolana)

Risk of mill plugging

grinding efficiency reduced in chamber 1

kWh/t 
Mill production 

Only for
Co-grinding

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 Example of cogrinding limestone
105
100
Cement production (T/h)

95
90
Open circuit
85
First gen
80
HES
75
70
65
60
0 10 20 30 40 50
% of Limestone

CEM 32.5 CEM 52.5

105
100
Cement production (T/h)

95

90
Open circuit
85
First gen
80
HES
75

70
65
60
0 10 20 30 40 50
% of Limestone

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