As seen in the clip “WATCH: Overall Cementing Process,” cement companies are vital in the construction industry. What starts as a simple quarry, if it were not for cement, would turn into a pile of dirt and rocks. Cementing companies are responsible for obtaining various minerals to form the end product.
The process begins at the foundry. Here, the initial raw materials undergo procedures that wash, dry, screen, and chemically analyze them.
The primary ingredients involve limestone and clays. Additional components may include dolomite and iron ore and products from oil wells, natural gas wells, or coal mines.
After the cementing companies mine these products, they feed them into crushers. This breaks down the material into various sizes needed for the next step in manufacturing. Next, the material is fed into a kiln. This step involves heating the minerals at very high temperatures to create various types of clays or lime.
The cement companies then grind the product using large stone wheels to reduce the particle size further. This results in a fine powder known as crushed stone. The crushed stone is then heated up again at very high heat and speed, either by firing or roasting, to make the various clinker grades. The clinker grades produce multiple grades of cement. Cement companies achieve the multiple grades by mixing them with the proper proportions of water and sand under pressure to form an effective concrete mixture that hardens on contact with water.
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