Cement Energy and Environment

laboratory to the tune of Rs 1.5 crore over a period of three years. Revindra Gettu, professor at liT-M's department of civil engineering , while explaining about the project mentioned that the tests will be conducted on concrete in different parts of India to identify the carbonation and its effects on concrete in different atmospheric conditions. "Lafarge aims to improve the performance of concrete to address sustainable construction and global warming challenges . This is done through cutting-edge scientific research and forming partnerships with other institutes and organizations," said Pascal Casanova, Head of Lafarge Group's Research and Development. The French group has four cement plants in India- two in Chhattisgarh, and one grinding plant each in Jharkhand and West Bengal. Lafarge has also set up a gypsum plasterboard plant at Khuskhera in Rajasthan . Courtesy: Indian Cement Review, April 2011, P9. Plant & Machinery BULK BAG DISCHARGERS Flexicon Corporation (Pennsylvania, USA) offers bulk bag dischargers for dust-free loading, untying, retying and removal of bulk bags. It is also known as bulk bag unloaders, and is offered in numerous frame configurations. The two most popular bag unloaders are BFF series dischargers with bag lifting frame for forklift loading and unloading of bulk bags (FIBCs), and BFC series dischargers with cantilevered 1- beam, electric hoist and trolley for loading and unloading of bulk bags without the use of a forklift. Other bulk bag unloader configurations include split frames for forklift loading of bags in low headroom areas, half frames for suspending bags during discharge using a forklift, hoistable frames for lifting the entire bulk bag discharger using overhead crane, continuous loss-of- weight dischargers for uninterrupted feeding directly from bulk bags, and other designs satisfying specialized requirements. All these dischargers are offered with a broad range of innovative accessories. These dischargers are also available with a range of integral flow promotion devices, and the dedicated bulk bag conditioners help to loosen bulk solid materials • that have solidified during st9rage and shipment, enabling bulk bag unloaders to discharge the material through bag spouts. The bag spout interface not only creates a dust-tight seal but also promotes material flow and total evacuation . It also allows easy retying of partially empty bags, and can collapse empty bags - free of spillage and dust. Courtesy: Indian Cement Review, April 2011, P34. CEMEN f CONVEYING SY~"'EM Techx Process Automation (Ahmedabad) manufactures user-friendly cement conveying system which can be mounted on a skid. It is available in two options - cement and fly ash input, ie, loose in bulkers or material received in bags. Conveying from bulker to main silo is achieved by diverting the voluminous air flow at around 1 kg/sq em pressure. The bulker is aerated and pressurized. Opening of bottom valve allows cement/fly ash to fall directly in dispatch pipe . The air flow carries the material to the main silo. The conveying rate achieved is 30-32 tonne/hour for this mode, the power consumed is 45 HP. When cement/fly ash is received at site in bags, they are manually taken to a hopper. Bags are slit and loose material dumped into the hopper. A specially designed rotary valve ensures measured flow of material into the discharge pipe line. It also prevents air entering the hopper. The cement/fly ash dropped in discharge pipe is pushed ahead to main silo with the pressure of 1kg/sq em. The transfer rate achieved is 12 to 15 tonne/hr for this mode. Courtesy: Indian Cement Review; April 2011, P33. CONE CRUSHER FOR SECONDARY AND TERliARY CRUSHING Proman Infrastructure Services offers PRO series cone crusher for secondary and tertiary ~rushing. This crusher is used for crushing all types of feed material to obtain desired product sizes and capacities. It is versatile in terms of cavity design and eccentric throw to suit the aggregate and mining industry's crushing requirement. Due to its compactness, it can be easily fitted in a fixed plant or a mobile plant environment. This crusher is sturdily built in with a hydraulic· gap setting and overload protection for easy and safe operation. It is designed with a li~ear configuration and has a crushing chamber, which results in crushing any feed material. Its features include, no backing compound required 7