Cement Manufacture of Portland Cement Portland cement was developed in 1824 and derives its name from Portland

d limestone in Dorset because of its close resemblance to this rock after hydration has taken place. The basic raw materials used in the manufacture of Portland cements are calcium carbonate, found in calcareous rocks such as limestone or chalk, and silica, alumina and iron oxide found in argillaceous rocks such as clay or shale.

The different cements used for making concrete are finely ground powders and all have the important property that when mixed with water, a chemical reaction (hydration) takes place which, in time, produces a very hard and strong binding medium for the aggregate particles. The following table shows the different types of concrete. Of these, Portland Cement is the most widely used, the others being used where concretes with special properties are required.

Basic Chemistry of Cement All Portland Cements contain the same active compounds only the proportion of each is different: Tricalcium silicate, C3S 3CaO.SiO2 Dicalcium silicate, C2S 2CaO.SiO2 Tricalcium aluminate, C3A 3CaO.Al2O3 Tetracalcium aluminoferrite, C4AF 4CaO.Al2O3.Fe2O3