Grinding and Milling in Cement Manufacturing: 1.2 Fineness Requirements

Grinding & Milling
1.2 Fineness
Grinding and Milling in Cement Manufacturing

1.2
Fineness requirements
The importance of grinding and milling is to ensure the raw materials or the cement
product are in the optimum, finely ground, state for chemical reactions to take place at
the desired rate.
The conversion of the raw materials into the clinker minerals is a sintering reaction
because the majority of the reactants, the CaO and SiO2 and the majority of the clinker
mineral products, the C3S, C2S remain in the solid state throughout the reaction process.
These solid state reactions will only take place at a sufficient rate if the raw minerals are
brought into close proximity with one-another in an intimately mixed and finely divided
state.
In finish or cement grinding we are again making sure that the product is in the optimum,
finely ground, state to undergo chemical reactions at a sufficiently fast rate, in this case
the hydraulic reaction of the cementitious clinker minerals when the cement is mixed
together with aggregates and water to form mortars or concrete.
The surface area which the cement presents determines how quickly it will react, which
in turn determines the heat of hydration, setting time and strength development of the
mortar or concrete. But the optimum, finely ground, state for kiln feed and final
product cement are different.
C2S
For kiln feed it is important that there are no large fragments of the raw
minerals in the feed.
Grains of SiO2 (quartz) are first converted into C2S by diffusion of CaO
into the grains. Then into C3S by further diffusion of CaO into the grains.
C2S
CS
SiO22
C2S
C2S
C2S
C2S
C2S
C2S
But if the grains of SiO2 (quartz) are too large then cores of unconverted
C2S will remain in the centre of the C3S grains.
C3S
C3S
Any unconverted cores of C2S will be balanced by uncombined CaO

elsewhere in the clinker, free lime will therefore be present with potential
unsoundness of cement produced from the clinker.
C3S
C3S
C3S
Similarly any large grains of CaCO3 in the kiln feed, will first be converted into C2S by
diffusion of SiO2 into the grains, then into C3S by further diffusion into the grains.
CaCO3
CaCO3
CaCO3
CaCO3
C3S
C3S
Grinding & Milling
1.2 Fineness
However, large grains of CaCO3 in the kiln feed can leave residual cores of
unreacted free lime in the clinker, again leading to potential unsoundness of
cement produced from the clinker.
The importance of avoiding large grains of raw minerals in the kiln feed is
recognised by the F.L. Smidth burnability equation:
CaO1400C = [0.343(LSF-93) +2.74(SM-2.3)] + [0.83Q45 + 0.10C125 + 0.39R45]
Where:
CaO1400C = CaO content of clinker after firing at 1400C for 30 minutes.
LSF = Lime saturation factor of the kiln feed.
SM = Silica modulus of the kiln feed.
Q45 = Quartz (SiO2) content of the 45 residue of the kiln feed.
C125 = Lime content of the 125 residue of the kiln feed.
R45 = Combined Al2O3 and Fe2O3 content of the 45 residue of the kiln feed.
This formula for burnability recognises the effects of the chemical composition of the
kiln feed (black arrow), and the mineral composition of the kiln feed (blue arrow), and
more importantly the grain size of those minerals as recognised by the 45 and 125
residues.
This is the reason kiln feed fineness is normally controlled to sieve residue targets. The
most common sieves used are a 170 mesh or 90, and 100 mesh, which is ~150, neither
of these correspond with those used in the F.L. Smidth formula!
Irrespective of whichever sieve residue is used for control there is an implicit recognition
that large particles must be eliminated from the kiln feed to ensure full combination of
the clinker. This is the reason why all mills used for raw grinding operate in closed circuit
with a separator.
These separators prevent any coarse particles passing to the
kiln feed by returning any such coarse particles to the mill
for regrinding.
Provided that two different sieve residues are used to

control the kiln feed fineness it is possible to characterise
the fineness and make comparisons irrespective of which
sieve residues are measured.
This is achieved by converting the two sieve residues into the Rosin-Rammler particle
size distribution. This involves plotting the natural logarithm of the sieve grain size (45,
90, 150) etc, against the double natural logarithm of 100/Residue at that sieve size.
ii
Grinding & Milling
1.2 Fineness
Rosin Rammler distribution.
Residue
ln(ln(100/Residue))
Residue on 90 sieve = 15%... therefore ln(90) = 4.5

ln(ln(100/15)) = 0.64
0.1
15
10
0.64
99
0
1
ln(Grain Size)
2.3
4.54.6
Grain Size
10
90 100
Residue
ln(ln(100/Residue))

ln(ln(100/42)) = -0.14
0.1
10
-0.14
42
99
0
1
ln(Grain Size)
2.3
3.8
4.6
Grain Size
10
45
100
iii
Grinding & Milling
1.2 Fineness
Residue
ln(ln(100/Residue))

ln(ln(100/85)) = -1.82
0.1
10
8
85
-1.82
99
0
ln(Grain Size)
Grain Size
2.3
2.3
4.6
10
10
100
In the fine powder range the Rosin Rammler particle size distribution approximates to a
straight line. This means the residue at any sieve size can be extrapolated from the
distribution. The distribution can be plotted from only two sieve residues as it is a straight
line.
The steeper the Rosin Rammler distribution the sharper is the particle size distribution,
i.e. the larger the gradient m of the line Rosin Rammler distribution line described by
the equation y = mx + c.
A broad particle size distribution has a high proportion

of coarse particles balanced by a high proportion of fine
particles.
A narrow particle size distribution has a lower
proportion of coarse particles balanced by a lower
proportion of fine particles.
0
1
ln(Grain Size)
2.3
4.6
Grain Size
10
100
iv
Grinding & Milling
1.2 Fineness
The slope m of the Rosin Rammler distribution is therefore the first way to characterise
the fineness of a powder.
In this case:
0.64 (-0.14)
4.50 3.81
= 1.13
For kiln feed the slope of the distribution typically ranges from 1.0 to 1.6.
The second way to characterise the fineness of a powder is the position parameter of
the Rosin Rammler distribution, which corresponds to the intercept on the x axis of the
distribution, i.e. when ln(ln(100/Residue)) = 0.
0.1
10
8
Position
parameter
8
99
0
1
ln(Grain Size)
2.3
4.6
Grain Size
10
100
This is the grain size at which 36.8% of the powder is retained on a sieve of that size. i.e.
ln(ln(100/36.8)) = 0. If the equation of the straight line of the distribution is
y = mx + c, then the intercept on the x axis = -c/m exp(-c/m) = Position Parameter.
In this case:
exp(-(-4.44/1.13) = 51.
This example is a relatively coarse kiln feed. If the SiO2 in the kiln feed were present as
quartz then combinability problems could be expected. Quartz is more difficult to grind
than limestone, it has a lower grindability, therefore it will concentrate in the coarsest
fraction of the kiln feed. We will discuss grindability in a later session of the course.
Grinding & Milling
1.2 Fineness
Cements are significantly finer than kiln feeds. Rosin Rammler position parameters of
20~30 would be more typical.
10
8
99
0
1
ln(Grain Size)
2.3
4.6
Grain Size
10
100
Surface area as measured by the Blaine apparatus is the most common method of
characterising the fineness of cements. The Blaine apparatus measures the air
permeability of the cement by recording the time taken for a fixed volume of air to pass
through a fixed bed depth of cement in a standard cell. Blaine surface area is reported in
cm2/g with values for cement being typically 3000~4000 cm2/g.
SI representation of surface area is in m2/kg with typical values for cement being
300~400 m2/kg.
However, with the advent of closed circuit cement mills, high efficiency separators, roll
presses and vertical mills for cement grinding, there is a growing recognition that particle
size distribution of cement is equally, if not more important, than surface area.
All these innovations in cement grinding and milling systems have tended to tighten
particle size distributions of cement, steepening the Rosin Rammler distribution.
All these are subjects we will be returning to later in the course, before doing that we
need to consider separation theory, which we will do in the next session of the course.
vi

Grinding and Milling in Cement Manufacturing: 1.2 Fineness Requirements

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Grinding and Milling in Cement Manufacturing: 1.2 Fineness Requirements

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Grinding and Milling in Cement Manufacturing: 1.2 Fineness Requirements

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Grinding & Milling