Cement News tagged under: manufacturing technology
New clinkers11 March 2014, Published under Cement NewsThe push to reduce CO 2 emissions will impact the way that cement plants are designed and operated in the future. This third article in a series of five explores some of the potential outcomes of the carbon-constrained world and their impacts on the cement industry. By John Kline & Charles Kline, Kline Consulting, USA. Figure 1: polished section of a clinker granule seen under optical microscopy. Alite (C3S) blue crystals, belite (C2S) brown crystals It is widely accepted th... |
A cut above the rest11 March 2014, Published under Cement NewsIrish Cement, part of the CRH Group, has been producing cement for more than 60 years. To maintain its competitive advantage the company must operate its facilities in optimal working condition. So when the cement producer was faced with removing a section of the kiln at its Limerick plant in County Limerick, Ireland, it turned to Gullco International to facilitate the removal and replacement of one of the kiln tyres. By Nick Drake, Gullco International Ltd, UK. Irish Cement replaces ... |
Maximising AF usage25 February 2014, Published under Cement NewsWhile the use of alternative fuels (AF) continues to increase, the desired targets always pose challenges as the price and properties of waste-derived fuels vary. Therefore, a better understanding of AF utilisation is essential to mitigate any potential negative effects on kiln stability, product quality and emissions. The case study detailed below highlights the effectiveness of using MI-CFD as an engineering tool to reduce CO emissions when AF is co-fired with coal at the kiln front-end. B... |
The importance of raw materials17 February 2014, Published under Cement NewsProper analysis and identification of raw materials are essential to achieving the best clinker in the kiln. All clinkers will have a small degree of unwanted elements, but much can be learnt about reaching the desired levels of strength, setting time and crystal content by understanding what makes good- and poor-quality clinker. For a new cement plant the main raw material selection is generally the first and most important phase of development. If the everyday supply of limestone is not... |
The benchmark cooler12 February 2014, Published under Cement NewsThe Best Available Techniques CO2 emissions benchmark reference of 2900-3300kJ/kg clinker now applies to new cement plants. The component with the highest potential for savings within the clinker production process is the clinker cooler. Claudius Peters demonstrates how to utilise this potential based on references including Lafarge, Holcim, Anhui Conch and one of its latest projects for Najran Cement. By Ulrich Mrowald, Claudius Peters, Germany. Claudius Peters’ ETA cooler has been d... |
Pressing matters04 February 2014, Published under Cement NewsSince the 1980s, roller presses have been in demand for their high levels of efficiency and energy conservation, and their development has reached an advanced level of maturity. With over 1400 units of its HFCG roller press series sold, Hefei Cement Research and Design Institute of China explains how the technology has evolved and can be best applied to the milling process. By Bao Wei, Gao Lin and Ding Hao, Hefei Cement Research and Design Institute, China. HCRDI explains the key char... |
Advanced vertical milling28 January 2014, Published under Cement NewsDue to evolving market requirements and trends towards higher capacities, new orders for grinding systems with high throughput rates and tailor-made cement qualities have become prerequisites. To meet this challenge, Gebr Pfeiffer has developed trendsetting mill and drive concepts for the cement industry. With supply of the world’s largest vertical roller mill (VRM) for Holcim Brasil’s Barroso works in progress, the German milling specialist shares operational experiences with recent project... |
Understanding dependency22 January 2014, Published under Cement NewsIn the first of a two-part Technical Forum, Dr Clark considers the complex dependencies involved in delivering a successful cement project. He uses a fictional cement company and country to illustrate those dependencies leading up to the placing of a contract and the contract effective date. In the second part, next month, the dependencies between the contract effective date and handover will be elaborated. The project goal is clear – to establish an 8000tpd cement factory and to sell... |
Alternative fuel characteristics20 January 2014, Published under Cement NewsMost microscopic analysis is based on classic studies carried out when single natural (traditional) fuels were the norm. How has the use of alternative fuels affected the microstructures observed? These observations start with a view on what differences new fuels can bring to the clinker. Figure 1: a belite cluster (150µm across) after the presence of coarse fly ash in the kiln feed Reducing conditions occur where there is an absence of oxygen such as at the bottom of an ocean o... |
The fuel shop of the future13 January 2014, Published under Cement NewsAs CO2 reduction targets approach, cement plants of the future will need to have a well-defined fuel strategy in place. As part of a series of articles on cement plants of the future, Kline Consulting looks at the most widely available alternative fuel sources and discusses what impact they may have on a plant’s design and its chosen business model. By John Kline & Charles Kline, Kline Consulting, USA. A look at the potential effects of increased biomass and biogenic fuels on new c... |