Cement Manufacturers Association (CMA)

53 Stepwise Design and Deployment of Bespoke Formulations 1. Need analysis: Understand specific needs of the plant comprehensively by conducting joint meetings with all stakeholders, covering aspects such as: • Strategic and business needs • Mineralogy, chemical, and physical properties of input materials such as clinker, gypsum, y ash, slag etc. • Baseline quality parameters such as compressive strengths, setting times, PSD, blaines and residues • Process parameters and underlying process equipment etc 2. Collection of samples: Take representative samples of clinker and proportionate quantities of each of the other materials being added to the cement mill feed. Homogenize each sample. Use “quarter coning method” for collecting the desired quantity of sample from each of the homogenized sample of the input materials. 3. Hypothesis and chemical formulations: Figure 2: Factors to consider while designing Grinding Aid / Performance Enhancer Formulations Characteristics of Input Materials like clinker, etc Cost Dynamics Plant and Process Parameters Market Dynamics • Mineralogy • Chemical Properties • Physical Properties • Cost of input materials • Cost of power • Equipment type • Process parameters • Setup • End quality of cement desired • Selling prices of cement Develop an initial hypothesis based on the need analysis. Design team should prepare multiple chemical blends based on the hypothesis, which in turn should be based on both literature and past success stories / experiences. 4. Lab Scale Testing and Development: Undertake Extensive trials and iterations for assessing the impact of each of these formulations. 5. Selecting the best formulation(s): Shortlist and select the highest impact formulations based on both quality and cost considerations. 6. Plant scale validation: Undertake trials and validation at plant scale with the shortlisted formulation to ensure the results are translated at plant scale. 7. Full scale deployment: Once established technically and commercially, full scale deployment of the performance enhancer must be undertaken jointly by the vendor and cement manufacturer.