Prediction of Free Lime Content in Cement Clinker Based on RBF Neural Network

Considering the fact that free calcium oxide content is an important parameter to evaluate the quality of cement clinker, it is very significant to predict the change of free calcium oxide content through adjusting the parameters of processing technique. In fact, the making process of cement clinker is very complex. Therefore, it is very difficult to describe this relationship using the conventional mathematical methods. Using several models, i e, linear regression model, nonlinear regression model, Back Propagation neural network model, and Radial Basis Function （RBF） neural network model, we investigated the possibility to predict the free calcium oxide content according to selected parameters of the production process. The results indicate that RBF neural network model can predict the free lime content with the highest precision （1.3%） among all the models.

Use of recycled gypsum in the cement-based stabilization of very soft clays and its micro-mechanism

This paper presents an experimental study and micro-mechanism discussion on gypsum role in the mechanical improvements of cement-based stabilized clay(CBSC).A soft marine clay at two initial water contents(i.e.50%and 70%)was treated by reconstituted cementitious binders with varying gypsum to clinker(G/C)ratios and added metakaolin to facilitate the formation of ettringite,followed by the measurements of final water contents,dry densities and strengths in accordance with ASTM standards as well as microstructure by mercury intrusion porosimetry(MIP)and scanning electron microscopy(SEM).Results reveal that the gypsum fraction has a significant influence on the index and mechanical properties of the CBSC,and there exists a threshold of the G/C ratio,which is 10%and 15%for clays with 50%and 70%initial water contents,respectively.Beyond which adding excessive gypsum cannot improve the strength further,eliminating the beneficial role.At these thresholds of the G/C ratio,the unconfined compressive strength(UCS)values for clays with 50%and 70%initial water contents are 1.74 MPa and 1.53 MPa at 60 d of curing,respectively.Microstructure characterization shows that,besides the common cementation-induced strengthening,newly formed ettringite also acts as significant pore infills,and the associated remarkable volumetric expansion is responsible,and may be the primary factor,for the beneficial strength gain due to the added gypsum.Moreover,pore-filling ettringite also leads to the conversion of relatively large inter-aggregate to smaller intra-aggregate pores,thereby causing a more homogeneous matrix or solid skeleton with higher strength.Overall,added gypsum plays a vital beneficial role in the strength development of the CBSC,especially for very soft clays.

Composition Design for High C_3S Cement Clinker and Its Mineral Formation

A new composition of Portland cement clinker was studied, in which KH, SM and IM was 0.98,2.4 and 2.4 respectively as well as its meal added 1%CuO （in mass）. Fired at 1 200℃,1 350℃,1 400℃ and 1 450℃ for 30 min, the resultant mineral phases component and mineral morphology were analyzed. The performances of the cement which was made of clinker burned at 1 450℃ and fly ash were determined. By means of QXRD, XRD and optical microscopy, it is shown that the clinker burnt at 1 450℃ has the larger size crystals and distinct crystal interface, in which the C3S content is 73.37% and the mineral phases is dominantly C3S, following by minor C2S, C3A and tetracalcium aluminoferrite. The results reveal that a new type of high C3S content clinker can completely be made by traditional temperature-time schedule. The performances of the cement produced from this clinker with addtion of 50% fly ash and 5% gupsum were in agreement with the 32.5 strength grade of Portland fly-ash cement. The results also show that the clinker has a significant effect of saving energy and utilizing waste slag.

Effect of CuO on the Burnability and Mineral Formation of High C_3S Cement Clinker

The effect of CuO on the clinkering process and mineral structure, components and morphology of high C3S cement clinker was studied. One reference mixture was prepared according to the potential mineral phase components C3S=75%, C3A=7%, C4AF=18% and then was mixed, respectively, with 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, 2%, 2.5% and 4% CuO. All samples were heated at a rate of 10°C/min to the design temperatures and then maintained for 40 min. Analyses by the glycerol-ethanol method, XRD and SEM-EDS show that the minimum of free lime （f-CaO） content was related to temperature and CuO amount. The higher the temperature, the lower the amount of CuO corresponding to the f-CaO minimum content. CuO promotes the formation and growth of C3S and C4AF and a new compound is found. In addition, these phenomena are discussed theoretically. In conclusion, CuO alters the burnability and the formation and structure of C3S in a high C3S cement system.

Catalytic performance of cement clinker supported nickel catalyst in glycerol dry reforming

The paper reports the development of cement clinker-supported nickel （with metal loadings of 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt% and 20 wt%） catalysts for glycerol dry （CO2） reforming reaction. XRF results showed that CaO constituted 62.0% of cement clinker. The physicochemical characterization of the catalysts revealed 32-folds increment of BET surface area （SBET） with the addition of nickel metal into the cement clinker, which was also corroborated by FESEM images. Significantly, XRD results suggested different types of Ni oxides formation with Ni loading, whilst Ca3SiO5 and Ca2Al0.67Mn0.33FeO5 were the main crystallite species for pure cement clinker. Temperature-programmed reduction analysis yielded three domains of H2 reduction peaks, viz. centered at approximately 750 K referred to as type-Ⅰ peaks, another peaks at 820 K denoted as type-Ⅱ peaks and the highest reduction peaks, type-Ⅲ recorded at above 1000 K. 20 wt% Ni was found to be the best loading with the highest XG and H2 yield, whilst the lowest methanation activity. Syngas with lower H2/CO ratios （0.6 to 1.5） were readily produced from glycerol dry reforming at CO2-to-Glycerol feed ratio （CGR） of unity. Nonetheless, carbon deposit comprised of whisker type （Cv） and graphitic-like type （Cc） species were found to be in majority on 20 wt%Ni/CC catalysts.

Optimization of the Content of Tricalcium Silicate of High Cementing Clinker

Optimization of the content of tricalcium silicate（C 3 S）of high cementing clinker was investigated.The content of free-CaO（f-CaO）,mineral composite,the content of C 3 S in the clinker and the hydration product were analyzed by chemical analysis and X-ray diffraction（XRD）.＂K Value＂method of QXRD was selected as a quantitative analysis way to measure the content of C 3 S,and the strength of cement paste was determined.The results show that at a water cement ratio of 0.29,the strength of cement paste with 73%C 3 S can be up to 97.5 MPa at 28 days age.The strength at 28 d of cement with 73%C 3 S is 16%higher than that with 78%C 3 S at water requirement for normal consistency.The relationship between the strength of high cementing Portland cement and the content of C 3 S in the clinker is nonlinear.According to the strength of cement paste,the optimal content of C 3 S in cement clinker is around 73%in this paper.

Novel Flexibilizer for Cement Rotary Kiln Bricks

A new type of magnesia spinel brick containing a novel flexibilizer was developed.The publication presents an investigation on its chemical composition,physical properties and cement clinker resistance.Compared to conventional magnesia spinel bricks,the new brick type shows reduced amounts of alumina,significantly improved hot properties and resistance against cement clinker attack whilst keeping its textural flexibility on the same level.Field trials revealed satisfactory results and confirmed the novel flexibilizer concept.

Reactions of Chromium during the Calcination of Cement Clinker Produced Using Steel Slag

We investigated the effects of calcination temperature(950-1450℃),steel slag content,and the total chromium content of steel slag on the Cr^(6+)contents of clinker samples produced using steel slags with different chromium contents.Additionally,the reactions of chromium in clinker(produced using steel slag)during calcination were studied.It is found that Cr^(6+)conversion increases with increasing calcination temperature to 1250℃,reaching a maximum of 43%-79%,before decreasing to 18%-42%at 1450℃.Cr^(6+)is mainly formed by the oxidation of trivalent chromium(Cr^(3+))during the solid-phase reaction stage of clinker calcination.Furthermore,the Cr^(6+)content of a clinker sample is proportional to the chromium content of its raw meal precursor and is mainly in the form of water-insoluble calcium chromate(CaCrO_(4)).The chromium in clinker is mainly distributed in tricalcium aluminate and tetracalcium aluminoferrite,however,some is present in silicate minerals.We expect to inform the monitoring and control of the Cr^(6+)content of clinker(produced using steel slag)and resulting cement.

THE FORMATION MECHANISM OF PORTLAND CEMENT CLINKER MINERALS IN RAPID BURNING

Cement clinker is burnt at the rapid heating rate has the obvious effect of saving energy due to the low burning temperature and short burning time. This kind of technique is being researched actively in recent years, but the systematical theory investigation about the formation mechanism of clinker minerals under this condition has not been reported. In this paper, the formation mechanism of Portland cement clinker minerals in rapid burning was studied by means of DTA, SEM, EPMA, XRD and other conventional testing methods by using a special burning equipment.

Research of green cement clinker calcinated from ferrochrome slag

Ferrochrome slag is a kind of industrial waste containing Cr^(6+)and is produced in the process of silico ferrochrome smelting.On the basis of analyzing the chemical composition and mineral composition of ferrochrome slag,this paper has put forward a technology of green portland cement clinker calcinated from ferrochrome slag.In the experiment,physical chemical changes of cement clinker in the burning process of ferrochrome slag were investigated.The effects of calcinating temperature and clinker cooling rate on the solubility value of Cr^(6+)were analyzed.The results indicated that when the calcinating temperature is above 1450℃,and the cooling rate is beyond 120℃/min,Cr^(6+)in cement clinker is almost insoluble.

A STUDY ON THE KINETICS AND SOME MECHANISMS OF CEMENT CLINKER FORMATION

In this paper for saving energy two different burning methods of cement clinker formation have been studied.One is the rapid burning method and the other is ordinary burning method simulating rotary kiln,and they are compared by the kinetic point of view.The result reveals that the activation energy of rapid burning is much lower than ordinary burning.For looking into the cause, the main raw material—lime stone was burnt by the same two methods and the structure of product CaO has been detected.It can be found that the microstructure of CaO produced by rapid burning is looser;lattices constants are greater;crystal defects are more and particle size is smaller than that produced by ordinary burning.These cause the chemical reaction more active.So the activation energy of clinker formation of rapid burning is much lower than that of the ordinary burning.

RESEARCH ON RELATION BETWEEN MELTING POINT OF CEMENT CLINKER AND HEATING RATE

The relation between the melting point of Portland cement raw meal and its heating rate have been studied. The raw meal was burnt at different heating rate ranging from 10 similar to 900 degrees C/min Dy the following methods: (A) in electric resistance furnace; (B) in DTA-TG analyzer with infrared ray focused heating; (C) in high temperature microscope with electron stream heating. Based on thermal analysis theory and melt theory and the tests above, it is found that melting point T-m of cement raw meal decreases with the increased heating rate Phi during burning in the following relation: T-m=1280-0.107 empty set.

EFFECT OF BURNING METHOD ON THE FORMING PROCESSES OF PORTLAND CEMENT CLINKER

The forming temperature of Clinker melt underdifferent burning conditions has been studied by appearance examination and thermal shrinker determination, and the viscosity of melt has been discussed by studying the coordination number of Al^(3+) and Fe^(3+) in cement clinker burned by different method with x^- ray fluorescence analysis and Moss- bauer spectroscopy. The results show that the clin- ker melt under rapid burning may come into exis- tence at lower temperature and It's viscosity is lower. So the forming processes of clinker may be different at rapid burning from ordinary burning. They are probably an important factor to promote the formation of clinker burned at lower temperature with rapid burning method.

Adherence Characteristics of Cement Clinker on Basic Bricks

Based on the sandwich test, adherence mechanisms of cement clinker on various basic bricks were tackled by microstructural observations with help of cathodolumi-nescence technique. Doloma based bricks offer sufficient lime to react with clinker, forming C3S rich layer and initializing superior adherence. However, clinker with low silica ratio leads to MgO agglomeration at the interface of doloma bricks, which reduces adherence strength. On magnesia spinel bricks , fine, crystalline spinel easily reacts with lime containing phases from clinker to form low-melting phases and belite zone, which shows high adherence performance. Lack of fine spinel in magnesia spinel bricks results in poor adherence.

ON THE DECOMPOSITION OF ALITE IN PORTLAND CEMENT CLINKER

The decomposition speed and mechanism of alite in Portland cement clinker are studied by means of optical microscopy, EPMA, XRD and chemical analysis. The results show that alite in portland cement clinker decomposes at the maximum speed when the temperature is at 1025 to approximately 1175 degree C. It takes about 40 hours for the alite in clinker burnt in the rotary kiln to completely decompose at 1175 degree C, and about 68 hours for the alite burnt in RSP-kiln. The presence of CaF//2 or CaSO//4 greatly affects the decomposition speed of alite. The former resists alite to decompose but the latter accelerates it and enables alite to decompose completely within 6 hours or less. (Author abstract) 3 Refs.

Optimization of Blended Mortars Using Steel Slag Sand

A new kind of mortar made of ground granulated blast-furnace slag （GGBFS）, gypsum, clinker and steel slag sand （〈4.75 mm） was developed. The ratio of steel slag sand to GGBFS was 1 ： 1 and the amount of gypsum was 4% by weight while the dosage of clinker ranged from 0% to 24%. The optimization formulation of such mortar was studied. The content of steel slag sand should be less than 50% according to the volume stability of blended mortar, and the dosage of clinker is about 10% based on the strength development. Besides strength, the hydration heat, pore structure and micro pattern of blended mortar were also determined. The experimental results show the application of steel slag sand may reduce the dosage of cement clinker and increase the content of industrial waste product such as GGBFS, and the clinker is also a better admixture for blended mortar using steel slag sand.

Measurement of Monochromatic Emissivity of Cement Clinker with Various Fe_2O_3 Content at High Temperature

An application of the optical pyrometer is studied for measuring monochromatic emissivities of cement clinker with various Fe2O3 content.The idea of using “brightness temperature”is introduced into the emissivity measurement. In this method, there is no need for measuring an actual temperature of sample surfaces, only with determining both brightness temperatures of a sample and a blackbody can the required emissivity be evaluated according to Wien’s radiation law. In practice, the cement clinker is regarded as a greybody, the monochromatic emissivity is approximately equal to the total emissivity, so a single-colour optical pyrometer is applied for this purpose. Test measurements are carried out on 10 kinds of cement clinkers. Experimental data are treated by the least square method. As a result, the emissivity variation with temperature at a certain Fe2O3 content is quite well represented by εn=α+bT. Furthermore, this work first reported that the emissivities of cement clinker change considerably with Fe2O3 contents. In multiple cement production this conclusion is very important.