Production and application of blended cements
(Cluster 2)

Setting

Clinker burning kiln

The cement production process is intensive in energy as well as in raw material demand. Limits of technical improvements to lower the environmental impact of the cement production have been reached in the European cement industry.Remaining potential to reduce environmental impacts is provided by the reduction of the clinker content in cement (blended cements). Other main constituents for cement like granulated blastfurnace slag, fly ashes from power plants, natural and industrial pozzolanas or limestone can be used. The production of blended cements results in lower CO₂-emissions and lower energy consumption of the clinker burning process. This reduction is obvious, because less clinker from the energy-intensive process is needed to produce such blended cements.

Strategic objectives

Experience in the production of blended cements already exists. However, the European cement standard EN 197-1 now allows more different types of these cements to be produced than before.

The use of many of these cements in concrete is currently restricted only to a few climatic or environmental conditions in some of the various European countries respectively these cements have not been produced at all. Blended cements validation as suitable binders for concrete is therefore required at a European level and with this large evaluation there are possibilities to make broader the various countries application rules on blended cements and to lower CO₂-emisions.

The outcome of the acivities in Cluster 2 is a Europeanwide exchange of knowledge on

• the performance
• the availability
• the application

of blended cements with the objective of a broader application of blended cements in Europe.

The cluster also aims to get a comprehensive overview on relevant organisations working in the field of the production and application of blended cements. A questionnaire has been sent to several companies and institutions such as cement producers, research institutes, universities and other stakeholders like national Ready Mix Concrete Association. An interactive platform is given by the online implementation of this questionnaire. The results of this mapping activity are given under "Network Output". A reference list on the properties of blended cements and the Final technical report can also be found under this section.

Some research needs for the cement industry were identified over the course of the Network.

Additionally some articles have been published on the subject.

Partners

Partners in Cluster 2 of the ECOserve network are:

Co-ordinator

Dr. Christoph Müller
German Cement Works association (VDZ)
Research Institute of the cement industry
Concrete technology department
Tannenstrasse 2
40476 Dusseldorf
Germany
Telephone: +49 211 45 78 372
Telefax: +49 211 45 78 219
email: mc@vdz-online.de

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