Portland cement is the basic ingredient of concrete. Concrete is formed when Portland cement creates a paste with water that binds with sand and rock to harden.
Portland cement manufacturing requires careful control of raw materials to produce a high-quality cement. Limestone (CaCO3), along with controlled quantities of silica (SiO2), alumina (Al2O3), iron (Fe2O3) and other elements are blended together prior to calcination. If locally available stone is not sufficient to provide the needed raw material quality, the cement product produced will not meet the necessary industry quality standards. In the case where the appropriate raw materials can not be sourced, cement manufactures may need to purchase sources of limestone or other supplemental raw materials, to achieve the desired raw mix quality. This is both costly, as it requires the transport of large quantities of material, and risky at it leaves cement manufactures open to supply disruptions. Given that cement and concrete is (literally) the foundation of the modern economy, controlling the supply of cement manufacturing materials is of critical importance.
Many countries around the world have abundant cement grade limestone deposits. But in cases where access to cement grade limestone is expensive or limited (for example – located in environmentally sensitive areas), a dry limestone beneficiation process such as STET can assist in generating a long-term supply of high-grade limestone from lower grade varieties.
The STET separator has been proven in removing silicates and other contaminants from cement rock limestone prior to calcination, to extend the life and maximize recovery from cement rock deposits.
Contact us today to learn more about how STET can help with your limestone / calcium carbonate processing operation.