White portland cement is a high-grade building material composed of fine grains of masonry cement. It is used in mortar, stucco and grout applications. While the use of white portland cement comes at a higher cost than traditional gray portland cement, the overall aesthetic value of the finished project may justify the expense.
The color of white portland cement comes from its raw materials. The sand used for this type of cement must be pure white quartz. Limestone, clay and sand are then heated together in a kiln to form clinker, which is finely ground in order to produce white portland cement.
White portland cement can be mixed with aggregate and water to form concrete or it can be mixed with lime and mason sand to make mortar. White Cement makes an excellent decorative element in any masonry project, such as precast concrete panels, park structures or bridge elements like columns, piers and walls.
White portland cement is a type of material that is used for several different functions. The information about white portland cement can be found in the following sections of this article:
1. What is White Portland Cement?
2. How is it Made?
3. Uses of White Portland Cement
What Is White Portland Cement?
The whiteness of white portland cement is determined by its manufacturing process. The whiteness index (WI) of white portland cement is determined by measuring the reflectance of the cement paste with a reflectometer. White portland cement can be used in combination with pigments or dispersion paints to produce colors that would not otherwise be possible.
In addition to pigments, white portland cement can also be used as a base in which to mix other materials. In fact, this versatile material is commonly used in combination with other materials such as lime, gypsum, and sand to produce various colors and shades for building products.
White portland cement is used in decorative architectural elements, both interior and exterior. White portland cement is also used in combination with white aggregates to produce white concrete for prestige construction projects and decorative work. White concrete usually takes the form of pre-cast cladding panels, since it is not economical to use white cement for structural purposes.
In the oil well industry, white portland cement is used for cementing operations in deep wells where high temperatures (up to 120 °C) can disintegrate standard gray portland cement.
In marine construction, white portland cement is used in underwater applications, where rapid setting properties are required. The difference between white and gray cements is the amount of iron oxide present in the final product. In general, iron oxide must be kept to a minimum so that it does not affect the color of the building material. In addition, because of its higher cost and lower strength than gray portland cement, white portland cement is used only when high strength or special aesthetic effects are required.
A masonry cement, as defined by ASTM Standards, is a mixture of portland cement or blended hydraulic cement and plasticizing materials (such as limestone or hydrated or hydraulic lime) together with other materials introduced to enhance one or more properties of the basic mixture.
In the case of white portland cement, the type II variety is used. Type II cements are those that exceed moderate sulfate resistance requirements and are not blended with any air-entraining admixtures.
White portland cement, also known as white ordinary portland cement (WOPC) is similar to ordinary, gray portland cement in all aspects except for its high degree of whiteness. Obtaining this color requires substantial modification to the method of manufacture, and because of this, it is somewhat more expensive than the gray product.
White portland cement has essentially the same properties as gray cement, except for color. It is readily available throughout North America. The color of white cement is determined by its raw materials and the manufacturing process. Metal oxides, primarily iron and manganese, influence the whiteness and undertone of the material. Blanc fixe is a widely used pigment that contains barium sulfate in its makeup. In white cements it provides a source of sulfate and increases the durability of the cement. Ternary blends are often used to achieve colors other than gray.
White portland cement has essentially the same properties as gray cement, except for color. It is readily available throughout North America. The color of white cement is determined by its raw materials and the manufacturing process. Metal oxides, primarily iron and manganese, influence the whiteness and undertone of the material. Blanc fixe is a widely used pigment that contains
White Portland cement is a kind of ‘Portland Cement’. The history of Portland cement goes back to the early 18th century. This special cement was named after the British Isle of Portland, where it was first produced. White Portland cement is a type of special Portland cement, which is fundamentally different from ordinary Portland cement in terms of its physical and chemical properties.
The difference between white Portland and ordinary gray portland cements lies in the manufacturing process. While gray portland cements contain significant amounts of iron and manganese, which impart gray color to concrete, white portland cements are made with raw materials that are virtually free of any coloring agents.
White portland cements may be made using one or more of three methods:
1) The raw materials used to produce white portland cement may be virtually free of coloring oxides, such as iron and manganese.
2) The clinker can be ground with gypsum (calcium sulfate) to produce a very fine white powder or with other materials to produce colored powders.
3) The clinker can be mixed with other white pigments to change the color of the finished product.