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Owner of data set Breedon Cement Ireland Ltd |
Technical purpose Cement is a hydraulic binder which means it hardens and sets to yield mortar when mixed with sand and water or concrete when mixed with aggregates, sand and water.
The main material components of the cement are clinker, limestone and gypsum. Clinker is produced by combining naturally occurring minerals, primarily limestone, shale and clays in the cement kiln at very high material temperatures of up to 1500 degC, where the required calcium silicate and aluminate clinker minerals are formed, namely Alite (C3S), Belite (C2S) and tri-calcium aluminate (C3A). Clinker production at Breedon Ireland is achieved by co-processing coal, (which represents less than 20% of the system thermal energy requirement) with renewable alternative fuels, primarily Solid Recovered Fuel derived from the non-recyclable paper, plastic fragments known as SRF, carefully prepared by domestic waste sector. Co-processing enables both the thermal energy value to be recovered replacing fossil fuel use and the mineral components to be fully recycled, replacing virgin raw materials.
Clinker, limestone and gypsum, the latter acting at a setting control material for the final product, are ground to a very fine powder known as cement. Minor components of FDPC (Flue dust Portland cement), grinding aid materials and chromate reducing agents are also added to further optimise performance requirements. The cement is manufactured at the Breedon Cement Ireland Limited manufacturing facility at Kinnegad, Co. Westmeath, Ireland in accordance with I.S. EN 197-1:2011,Compositions, specifications and conformity criteria for common cements. |
