The changes made to the production process of a cement plant by utilising different alternative raw materials can not only alter the dynamics of how a plant operates but can also affect the cost of production and cause blending and handling problems, says Arthur Harrisson. The addition of supplementary raw material alternatives such as foundry sand can also add difficulties when seeking to achieve a sufficiently fine raw mix.
There are occasions when an alternative material appears at first to be attractive for use in the cement clinker raw mill but when explored further its value seems to diminish relative to the status quo. The term, ’Alternative raw materials’ is generally used to refer to materials which are the byproducts or wastes of another industry but in fact the same rules apply in economic and chemical terms if a natural alternative to a material initially selected for a particular plant is considered as a replacement.
