Cement Chemistry
A basic precondition for the optimisation of the clinker burning process and the product properties is to fully understand the chemical and mineralogical processes which take place during the production and application of cement. Cement chemistry research is oriented towards current issues and covers both the evaluation and optimisation of main cement constituents and the development of testing and measuring methods.
Evaluation and optimisation of main cement constituentsThe influence of substitute fuels on clinker and cement properties currently constitutes one of the key subjects of research work. The effects that the input of phosphate into the clinker due to meat and bone meal utilisation has on product quality were extensively investigated and presented in a doctoral thesis, among other publications. A further research focus consists of assessing the performance of blastfurnace slags. This work is aimed at identifying the relationship between the chemical reactivity of blastfurnace slag and the compressive strength development of the cements made from them. |
Development of testing and measuring methodsThe Research Institute is involved in investigations aimed at validating Rietveld refinement as an analysis method that can be applied in factory production control at cement works. It is further involved in the work on the new European EN 196-10 test method for determining the water-soluble chromate content in cements and cementitious mixtures. Further activities relate to the development of rapid test methods for determining the sulphate resistance of cements and the development of heat flow calorimetry as an alternative to the heat of solution method. |
