Dr Clark recalls the step changes in cement kiln technology and capacities that were provided by preheating and precalcining technologies. Modern day cement kilns have huge output capacities in comparison to their more basic predecessors.

Among the topics for ICR this month are preheaters and precalciners. These are items of equipment all modern cement manufacturers are well aware of or even perhaps take for granted. Those of us with longer memories are likely to remember the massive step forward that these technologies represented 30-50 years ago.