Maintaining quality with emission limits
The trend towards more sustainable cement production and decarbonisation has resulted in increased emissions control. While this has led to challenges in terms of maintaining quality, solutions are continually being discovered.
Figure 1: alite in the bottom right quadrant contains inclusions of free lime
due to a high SO3 content in the clinker (© A Harrisson)
In the past couple of decades the cement industry has seen a number of changes in technology and priorities, which more and more include ‘green’ technologies, minimising primary minerals extraction, lower emissions and lower landfill of waste.
In terms of reducing emissions, increasingly tight restrictions are being placed on sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO). A major emphasis has also been on reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) release from the cement clinker manufacturing process.
