Course Content
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Module 1 - Will cover the applications and composition of white cement. At the outset students will need to know what we are making and why. White cement is an Ordinary Portland cement, as is grey cement, but with the defining characteristic of its whiteness. It is a niche product that finds application in prestige projects where the appearance of mortar or concrete is important. In many applications it provides a surface finish as flooring, precast panels, mortar screeds or even white cement based paints, rather than structural concrete. We will talk about some of these applications in a dedicated session of this Module 1. As whiteness is the defining characteristic of white cement we will also consider whiteness and whiteness measurement in a dedicated session of module 1.
Module 2 - Will consider raw materials for white cement manufacture and their processing
Module 3 & 4 - will consider the pyroprocessing of white cement clinker where the key differences from grey cement manufacture are found.
Module 5 - we will consider the finish grinding of white cement and also the typical organisation and management of a white cement factory.
Module 6 - we will review the white cement industry and players around the world. Again we will highlight the differences with the grey cement industry. And speculate on how the white cement industry might develop in the future.
Course Material
The course is conducted on-line, allowing students flexibility (within a six-week period) to complete each module and associated assessments at work or home. Students should expect to devote around 5+ hours per week/per module plus some additional time for private reading/study. A computer with internet access (broadband recommended) and email capabilities will be necessary.
Throughout the course the lectures are supplemented with exercises allowing students to relate the course material to their cement factories, or the cement factories of their clients in the case of equipment or service suppliers to the cement industry. Certification is achieved by completing a satisfactory level of exercises, and by end-of -module exams.
The course is complete with downloadable transcripts of the lectures, exercises, and reading material for the training record.