What Is Cement Clinker? Composition & Uses Of Cement Clinker
What Is Cement Clinker?
Cement clinker is a solid material made during the production of Portland cement. It is formed by heating a mixture of raw materials, including limestone and clay, to high temperatures in a kiln. The resulting clinker consists mainly of four minerals: alite, belite, tricalcium aluminate and calcium aluminoferrite.
These minerals are produced by heating limestone and clay to high temperatures. The main raw material for clinker production is limestone mixed with clay or silicon dioxide, although other materials such as shale, sand, iron ore, bauxite, fly ash and slag can also be used.
The clinker and the chemical reactions that occur during its hydration are studied using techniques such as calorimetry, strength testing, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy.
Composition Of Cement Clinker
Clinker, a material used in the production of cement, can be analyzed through two methods: mineralogical analysis using microscopy and/or x-ray diffraction, and chemical analysis using x-ray fluorescence spectrometry.
The main components of clinker are alite (approximately 65% tricalcium silicate), belite (approximately 15% dicalcium silicate), aluminate (approximately 7% tricalcium aluminate), and ferrite (approximately 8% tetracalcium aluminoferrite).
Small amounts of other substances, such as salt phases (e.g. arcanite, calcium langbeinite, aphthitalite, and sylvite) and low-temperature phases (e.g. spurrite, ternesite, ellestadite, and ye’elimite), may also be present.
Types Of Cement Clinker
There are several different types of clinker, which is a key component in the production of cement. The most common type of clinker is used to make Portland cement and its blends. Other types of clinker include sulfate-resistant clinker, low-heat clinker, white clinker, low-alkali clinker, and belite calciumsulfoaluminate ternesite (BCT).
Sulfate-resistant clinker contains a specific mix of ingredients, including alite, belite, tricalcium aluminate and tetracalcium aluminoferrite.
Low heat clinker is made from a mixture of alite, belite, tricalcium aluminate, and tetracalcium aluminoferrite, and is no longer produced because ordinary clinker and ground granulated blast furnace slag can be used to make cement with low heat properties.
White clinker, which is used to make white cement, contains alite, belite, tricalcium aluminate, and free lime, and is often used for aesthetic purposes in construction.
Low-alkali clinker is made by replacing the raw-mix alumina source with another component or using an “alkali bleed” to remove high-temperature gases from the kiln system.
BCT clinker is a type of clinker that produces up to 30% less carbon dioxide emissions and is more energy efficient and cost-effective to produce.
How Is Cement Clinker Made?
Essentially, the Portland clinker is composed of four minerals: alite (Ca3Si), belite (Ca2Si), tricalcium aluminate (Ca3Al) and calcium aluminoferrite (Ca4AlFe). These primary mineral components are created through heating clay and limestone at a very high temperature.
To make cement clinker, raw materials are heated in a rotary kiln at a high temperature. During this process, the raw materials react chemically and form clumps, or aggregates, when they reach their sintering temperature of around 1450°C.
While aluminum oxide and iron oxide are added to the mixture as flux to lower the sintering temperature, they do not significantly affect the cement’s strength.
To create specialized cements, such as low heat and sulfate resistant types, it is important to control the amount of tricalcium aluminate formed.
Scientists use various methods, including calorimetry, strength testing, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy, to study the clinker and its chemical reactions.
Uses Of Cement Clinker
Cement is a building material made by grinding together a mixture of limestone and clay, which is then heated to create a hard, lumpy substance called clinker. Clinker is then ground into a fine powder and mixed with additives to create cement.
Different substances are added to the cement to give it specific properties, such as the ability to set quickly or to be very strong. Gypsum is often added to cement to control the setting time and improve its strength.
Other substances, such as Triethanolamine and ethylene glycol, may be added to prevent the cement from clumping or sticking together. There are several types of cement, including Portland cement, ground granulated blast furnace slag cement, pozzolana cement, and silica fume cement.
Clinker is primarily used to make cement, but it can also be stored for several months without deteriorating and is therefore traded internationally in large quantities.
Cement manufacturers may also purchase clinker if the raw materials needed to make cement are scarce or unavailable in their area.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Cement Clinker
Cement clinker is a common material used in the production of cement. It is formed by sintering limestone, clay and other additives together at high temperatures. The advantages of using cement clinker include its hardness, durability and resistance to weathering.
Additionally, cement clinker is less expensive than other materials and can be used to provide an aesthetically pleasing finish to construction projects.
On the other hand, some of the disadvantages of using cement clinker are that due to its high alkalinity, Portland cement clinker that is wet can cause skin and eye irritation. It may also lead to an allergic reaction in some people because of its soluble Cr (VI) content.
Inhalation of Portland cement dust can also be hazardous and should be avoided as it carries a potential risk of developing pneumoconiosis or other chronic respiratory disorders.
Precautions such as the use of protective gear and masks must be taken when handling Portland cement clinker.
