International Cement Review articles tagged under : Manufacturing Technology
A cooler for the future
To reduce frequent clinker cooler downtime and high clinker temperatures a US cement plant required a new cooler to be installed. As an additional benefit future upgrades would also be easier to carry out. By IKN, Germany. Figure 1: this US cement plant had a new cooler installed by IKN to maximise performance A cement plant in the USA (see Figure 1) was experiencing frequent clin...
Digital twins
Established for some time in industries such as automotive, logistics and even healthcare, digital twins are becoming more widespread. For the cement industry digital twins can also provide benefits as they enable ac...
Belite appearance in clinkers
This month Arthur Harrisson looks at the second-most abundant constituent of cement – belite – and its appearance in clinkers. Figure 1: Type I belite with multiple sets of parallel laminations. The blue cryst...
Modular miracles
Cement producers looking for fast entry into growing small- and medium-sized markets are increasingly looking at employing the light-asset approach. Modular and mobile grinding systems can provide a versatile and cos...
Alternative clinkers
The drive to lower the carbon footprint of cement has led to the development of alternative cement clinkers to replace Portland cement clinker. Arthur Harrisson examines the potential of carbon reduction in four alte...
Admixtures and sustainability
With reducing the environmental impact of cement manufacture high on the agenda for producers, sustainable cement additives based on renewable materials can contribute towards reducing a plant’s carbon footprint and ...
FCB Horomill® turns 25
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the FCB Horomill ® , a breakthrough technology for raw meal, cement, slag and minerals grinding. Having actively participated in the development of the mill, Buzzi Unicem refle...
Bearing the load
Due to its inherent characteristics, cement production is one of the most severe processing environments and the bearings employed must be reliable, tough and robust to withstand such harsh operating conditions. By N...
Aluminium and iron in clinker
Aluminium and iron are two of the key components in Portland cement clinker. Varying their presence in clinker can have significant effects on the final clinker. Arthur Harrisson looks at some of the impacts of such ...
The intelligent enterprise
In a commoditised business such as cement, companies are using lean, intelligent processes to enable efficient production and timely delivery. Optimising processes and operations presents an opportunity for producers...
The ‘magic’ of magnesium
While petcoke is a less expensive fuel option, its use can lead to operational challenges for the cement plant, such as the formation of kiln rings and build-ups in the lower cyclones of the preheater. To optimise co...
Reducing cadmium volatility
A recent news report for the Journal of Engineering described some experimental work that has been carried out in China designed to investigate the behaviour of some heavy metals, especially cadmium, in cement clinke...
Sulphate in clinker
The amount of sulphate (SO 3 ) varies widely in cement clinker. Arthur Harrisson discusses the sources of SO 3 and its impact on clinker composition. Figure 1: relationship between the contents of sulphate an...
Kiln maintenance
Increasing competition within the cement industry and growing concerns about sustainable cement production have placed more rigorous demands on maintenance in cement plants, including the maintenance of the kiln. The...
Bring in the drones
In the last few years commercial drones have become increasingly common in quarries all over the world. But how does the use of drone technology impact quarry operations? For specific tasks drone technology can total...
Strength predictions
A prediction of strength in concrete can be made through a range of methods and with numerous variables. To facilitate this, Arthur Harrisson examines the key factors that control strength development in concrete. ...