Clinker (cement)

Cement clinker (Portland cement clinker, in short: clinker ) is the burnt part of the cement, which is responsible for curing with the admixture of water. The name comes from the similarity to clinker burned bricks ( bricks ).

The clinker is mainly composed of the following phases:

The most important for the curing phase is the tricalcium silicate, which has the highest initial hardness.

In chemical terms, the Portland cement clinker of the following main components:

The main component of alite is formed in the presence of a melt phase from about 1250 ° C. In order to achieve a sufficiently complete reaction ( Restfreikalkgehalt below 1.5%), temperatures of about 1450 ° C for a period of 5 minutes is required; this should be in the combustion unit a predominantly oxidizing atmosphere prevail, and the precursors belite and free lime present homogeneous.

• Cement