There are many different types of cement, and each one has a specific use. We make our concrete from 3 different types of cement: white cement, general purpose cement, and sulphate resisting cement.
White Cement is typically used for architectural purposes, to create white concrete with a pristine finish. It can also be used as an aggregate in terrazzo.
General Purpose Cement is the most widely used type of cement. It is used for all basic concrete construction, such as driveways, house slabs, foundations, footpaths etc.
Sulphate Resisting Cement (SRC) is used when the soil has a high sulphate content in it. Sulphate can attack the cement to form gypsum-like crystals which can cause cracks in the structure.
Cement is a binder, a substance used in construction that sets and hardens and can bind other materials together. The most important types of cement are used as a component in the production of mortar in masonry, and of concrete, which is a combination of cement and an aggregate to form a strong building material.
There are various kinds of cement available for use in various construction works such as plastering, brickwork, flooring, water proofing etc. OPC (Ordinary Portland Cement) and PPC (Portland Pozzolana Cement) are the most commonly used cement for any construction purpose. Besides these two basic types of cement there are various specialty cements like Rapid Hardening Cement, Low Heat Cement, Sulfate Resisting Cement, Coloured Cement etc.
The most commonly used cement in almost all forms of constructions is Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). It is suitable for all general purposes where special qualities are not required. This type of cement will be manufactured by inter grinding the following materials clinker 95% to 100%, gypsum 3% to 5%.
You may not know it but there are several different types of cement. While they are all similar in that they cure and become hard, the ingredients used in each vary, as do their uses. The six main types of cement for concrete work include:
Portland Cement
Portland cement is the type most commonly used in construction. It is made from a mixture of limestone and clay or shale. Once mined these materials are ground together to form a fine powder that once combined with water, cures to form a hard mass that binds other materials together. Portland cement is also known as ordinary portland cement or OPC.
Rapid Hardening Cement
This type of cement like portland cement contains limestone and clay or shale but the materials have been ground into a much finer powder than OPC. Once mixed with water this type of cement can set and cure quickly, sometimes within several hours compared to several weeks for OPC concrete work. Rapid hardening cement is often used for precast concrete products such as blocks or pipes that need to be placed quickly in order to continue construction on schedule as well as road repairs where traffic needs to resume quickly.
High Alumina Cement
Also known as calcium aluminate cement, high alumina cement is made from bauxite
There are various types of cement used in building and construction works for various purposes. However, the most commonly used cement type is Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), which is composed of 95% clinker and 5% gypsum. OPC is divided into different grades depending upon its compressive strength at a specific age (e.g. OPC-33, OPC-43, etc).
In this post, we have covered all the important types of cement available in the market. We have also discussed the composition, properties, applications and uses of each type of cement.
The below table summarizes the different types of cement:
Types of Cement | Composition | Properties | Applications / Uses
Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) | 95% Clinker + 5% Gypsum | Moderate strength (33-43 grade) | General construction work
Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC) | 70% Clinker + 15% Gypsum + 15% Pozzolanic material | Moderate strength (33-43 grade) | Construction of hydraulic structures (dams, bridges, etc.)
Portland Slag Cement (PSC) | 65% Clinker + 35% Ground granulated blast furnace sl
White cement is produced by raw material (iron oxide, manganese oxide) content of less than 5% of the cement. The white color of the finished product is determined by the nature and quantity of the raw materials and the firing conditions. White cement has a light colour when compared with the grey colour of general purpose Portland cement, which is due to the presence of iron oxide.
The use of white cement for decorative purposes has been growing at a fast pace all over the world. Though white cement accounts for only around 10% of total global production, its use in decorative concrete products is growing steadily.
White or coloured cement as such cannot be used as an ingredient in concrete or mortar as it does not chemically combine with water to set and harden like ordinary gray Portland cement. It can be used, however, in combination with other cements in blends (see “Blended Cements”). White portland cement is available throughout North America.
White cement is the same as ordinary, grey cement except for the fact that it is made using raw materials with a lower iron content and larger amounts of very pure white clay. White clinker contains less iron and manganese than gray clinker. This characteristic makes white cement highly resistant to discoloration.
Applications:
White cement has been made in the United States in small quantities for many years. It is used primarily for decorative purposes or where color is an important consideration. In addition to high whiteness, white cements usually possess high strength and durability, resistance to chemical attack, a low water requirement, and good workability.
The use of white cement as a decorative architectural material has increased significantly over the past few decades. Its potential uses are virtually unlimited: terrazzo flooring, precast concrete panels, masonry blocks, concrete pipes, plastering mortar, screeds and grouts are just some of the applications where white cements have proven their value.
White cement is a type of special cement, belongs to decoration cement.In general, Portland cement is greyish-green, as the name suggested, white cement is white. In the cement manufacturing process, in order to avoid the mixing of colored impurities, calcination of white cement plant mostly use natural gas or heavy oil as fuel. But due to high explosive nature, the daily operation will focus on safety.
The differences between white cement and ordinary Portland cement are raw materials and production method. Ordinary Portland cement clinker color is usually grey, silver grey or blackish grey; but the color of white cement clinker is pure white. White portland cement color mainly depends on raw materials and firing temperature. As for production method, it is determined by raw materials and grinding system in the whole process.
White portland cement has good quality index: not only high strength and low alkali-aggregate reaction property but also good impermeability and drying shrinkage performance which make it known as “the king of white”. White portland cement can be used for decoration engineering such as water proofing project of basement wall and roofing garden; also can be used for making mosaic tile works and other works which requires beautiful color or surface luster.