Cement, Energy & Environment Jan-Mar 2002

REGULATORY STANDARDS AND THEIR REVISION FOR PETCOKE USE S P Ghosh and K Mohan Petcoke the residue from petroleum refining is a unique substitute waste derived fuel and holds a lot of promise for the Indian cement industry to cut down the production cost and manufacture better quality cement clinker. The industry has, so far been using 10 to 25% Pe tcoke as s ubs titute of coal, as higher percentage of its use increases the S0 3 content of the clinker and the resultant cementbeyond the specified limits prescribed in relevant Indian standards. Investigations in established institutions in developed countries have proved that up to 4 - 5% S0 3 content does not adversely affect the properties of cement. According!)" many countries in Europe, SEAsia and Europe have modified the cement standards to facilitate larger use of Petcoke and other waste derived fuels. In India, such modification is awaited for the benefit of not the cement industry alone, but for the larger national interest of increased recycling of wastes and abatement of environmental pollution and degradation. The Cement 'Manufacturers' Association has been CO!ltinuously monitoring the technological aspects· and effects of Petcoke use by its member companies. The CMA Technical Committee has been convinced of several advantages including socio-economic benefits from use of Petcoke as cheaper, energy-economic and environment-friendly substitue of non-renewable fuel like coal. CMA had therefore proposed to the Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) to revise the relevant standards to increase the permissible S0 3 content upto 3.5% for all cements and upto 4% when petcocke is used as a fuel. Courtesy : Proc. Vol. of Inti. Workshop on Petcoke and Sem. on Energy and Env. in Cement Prod. and sustainable construction 28- 31 Jan. 2002. ND, Pp: W- 11 -10 to 16 E-mail: n ccbm@giasdl 01. vsnl.net.in . Web: cementresearch.com . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT I MOBILE LABORATORY FOR TESTING CEMENT, SAND AND COARSE AGGREGATE AT SITE Grasim Industries Ltd. launched 'Birla Super Mobile Lab' at Pune and Solapur, which will help builders/ contractors in producing strong and durable concrete, economically. 'Birla Super Mobile Lab' as a vehicle carrying essential equipment and manpower to assess the suitability of material available at the site of concreting. Company is introducing this facility firs t at Pune and Solapur. It will conduct field tests, suggest mix proportion, test both fresh and hardened concrete. 58 Technical representatives will test concrete cubes on 7th and 28t" day to make you understand the strength of concrete obtained at the site. This service also has an additional facility to trainmasons and supervisors at the site through lectures, demonstrations and video presentations. 'Indian Construction' congratulates Grasim Industries Ltd. for such service. Users of this service are requested to send their feedback / comments by email mentioned below. It augurs well and certainly readers would recall the pioneering efforts started by the