Cost versus value
While simple grinding aids can create a modest net economic advantage, the use of fully-customised additives can maximise benefits and improve the efficiency of the grinding process as well as deliver a higher-quality end-product. By Keith Marsay, Riccardo Stoppa & Mike Sumner, Grace Construction Products, UK.
Figure 1: simplified value model (including cost of CO2)
Following the recent financial disturbances in world markets there has been an understandable focus on the reduction of cement production costs to maintain competitiveness or simply to stay in business. Considering typical cement variable production costs, a simple conclusion to reach would be that if the plant were to stop using cement additives then the cement variable production cost could be reduced immediately by some US$0.30-1.50/te (depending on additive type). This could represent an important percentage of total variable costs.
