Synthesis of portland cement clinker at low temperature using raw materials from western Mongolia

Rentsenkhand Magsarjav; Ochirkhuyag Bayanjargal; Khasbaatar Dashkhuu

doi:10.5564/mjc.v27i55.4158

Authors

Rentsenkhand Magsarjav Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, National University of Mongolia, University Street 1, Sukhbaatar district, Ulaanbaatar 14201, Mongolia https://orcid.org/0009-0004-4438-3717
Ochirkhuyag Bayanjargal Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, National University of Mongolia, University Street 1, Sukhbaatar district, Ulaanbaatar 14201, Mongolia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0640-3313
Khasbaatar Dashkhuu Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, National University of Mongolia, University Street 1, Sukhbaatar district, Ulaanbaatar 14201, Mongolia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1311-1506

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5564/mjc.v27i55.4158

Keywords:

Portland cement clinker, marlstone, iron ore, gypsum, XRD

Abstract

This study evaluates gypsum-assisted low-temperature synthesis of Portland cement clinker using limestone, marlstone, iron ore, and natural gypsum from Western Mongolia. A raw mix designed by Kind’s method (LSF = 0.93; SM = 2.2) was sintered at 1100–1300 °C with 0–2.0 wt.% gypsum addition, and replicated free-lime measurements were used to assess burnability. Increasing temperature markedly reduced residual free CaO, while moderate gypsum addition promoted CaO assimilation. Nonlinear regression identified, within the investigated range, an optimum near 1.39 wt.% gypsum at 1300 °C, corresponding to a predicted free-lime content of approximately 1.25 wt.%. XRD and SEM confirmed the formation of an alite-rich clinker with developed silicate phases. Cement produced from this clinker met the physical and mechanical requirements of MNS 0974:2008 for OPC 42.5 grade, confirming gypsum-assisted clinkerization as an effective route for promoting clinker phase formation at a reduced sintering temperature under the present experimental conditions.

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