Use of Late-Barremian sands from Central Tunisia in white cement clinker

• Published in: Arabian journal of geosciences Vol. 10; no. 11; pp. 1 - 18
• Main Authors: Aloui, Tahar, Rhimi, Lotfi, Jabli, Ikram, Hermassi, Arwa, Chaabani, Fredj
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.06.2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Analytical methods; Cement; Clinker; Coloring; Concrete; Dicalcium silicate; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth science; Earth Sciences; Electron microscopy; Energy; Energy dispersive X ray spectroscopy; Fineness; Grain; Original Paper; Oxides; Sand; Scanning electron microscopy; Spectroscopy; Tricalcium silicate; Volatiles; X-ray diffraction; X-ray spectroscopy; X-rays; Tunisia; Raw materials; Tunisia; White cement; Late-Barremian; Ouaddada; Sidi Aïch formation
• ISSN: 1866-7511; 1866-7538
• DOI: 10.1007/s12517-017-3001-5

The present work focuses on the ability of Late-Barremian sands from Ouaddada Mountain (Central Tunisia), to produce high-quality white cement clinker. Results indicate that these sands are particularly characterized by their fineness of grains (mean grain-size 90–140 μm), high cleanness (sand equivalent 88–98%), extremely low coloring oxides and volatiles levels (less than 0.03 and 1.9% respectively) and high values of whiteness and lightness indices (more than 86 and 90% respectively). Studies based on Bogue calculation, X-ray diffraction (XRD), burnability of raw mixes, Point Counting and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS) methods, reveal that the Late-Barremian sands from Ouaddada Mountain can be used in the production of white Portland clinker by mixing with 70.8–75.6% of local limestones and 3.5–24.8% by weight of common Mediterranean kaolins from Guadalajar province (Central Spain), Tamazert (North-East Algeria), Şile (North-West Turkey), Sebha (South-West Libya), and Abu Zanima area (West-Central Sinai, Egypt). Synthesized clinkers are composed largely of alite (75–76.2%), belite (12.8–16.5%) and aluminate (7.4–8.9%) with subordinate quantities of ferrite (less than 1%), slightly harder to burn and seem to be much whiter than Mediterranean ones with a whiteness index β more than 86%.