Clinkerization of portland cement raw meal in the microwave processing system

Three kinds of carbons, natural coal, activated carbon and pet coke were used as susceptors and heating sources, and heating patterns and sintering processes between the microwave fields and the conventional electric furnace were studied. The heating patterns in the microwave fields were different from the electric furnace. The microwave system showed very efficiently to heat 1450C the raw meal and influenced by the kinds of carbons.
The microwave heating patterns showed the heating time 1/8 of the electric furnace for activated carbon, 1/4 for pet coke and 1/3 for natural coal. The clinkerizations in the microwave fields were also different from the electric furnace. The crystal sizes of calcium silicates sintered in the microwave system were smaller than those in the electric furnace. The phase transformation from beta form of dicalcium silicate to gamma form was much more occurred during the cooling process in the samples sintered in the microwave system.

Author: C.K. Park, J.P. Lee, D.M. Roy

Section: Science and production

Keywords: heating system, portland cement, raw material, agglomeration