Portland Cement, 3rd edition Composition, Production and Properties

Portland cement is one of the most traditional of construction materials. Rising costs of the energy required for its manufacture and the increasing interest in understanding the mechanisms of concrete deterioration, as well as the importance of optimising the use of Portland cement in high quality concrete, have continued to sustain interest in this important material. The book provides an up-to-date introduction to the raw materials and manufacturing processes of Portland cement. It gives an introductory account of cement composition, manufacture, quality assessment, hydration and the resulting microstructure-physical property relationships, and some mechanisms of the chemical degradation of hardened cement paste. The third edition of Portland Cement is fully revised and updated to include the latest British and European Standards for cement and associated test methods as well as recent advances in cement chemistry. It also reflects the emergence of nanoscience applications in cement science and the increased awareness of issues of sustainability. Contents: 1. Introduction and composition of Portland cement 2. Raw materials 3. Production of cement clinker 4. Characterisation of Portland cement clinker 5. Grinding fineness of cement 6. Tests of cement quality 7. The hydration of Portland cement 8. The nature of hardened cement paste 9. Portland cements and related blended cements 10. Admixtures and special cements Portland Cement is a valuable book both for students of materials science and for graduates in pure science or engineering entering the cement or concrete industries.