Cement is one of the main building materials used in this area since ancient times. The composition of cement includes a number of inorganic substances, which when interacted with water form a so-called solution. Due to a set of certain physical qualities, when dried, this solution hardens.
Cement is produced in several ways, but for the most part two main ones are used: dry and wet. Its manufacture is a rather expensive and energy-intensive process. The so-called sludge is initially loaded into a special furnace, after which clinker is sintered. In the manufacturing process, the furnace rotates continuously, so that the clinker in it is evenly mixed. This allows you to make the mixture more uniform and evenly melted.
The composition of cement includes iron oxide. It has a very great influence on the overall quality of the resulting cement mixture. Cement of the highest quality - with an iron oxide content of about 10%. With this ratio, the oxides have the most favorable effect on the formation of minerals. But a measure is needed in everything, so with an increase in the amount of iron oxide in the composition of cement, its overall quality also decreases.
The maximum allowable norm is 25% iron oxide. As you know, cement is also used to build or form heat-resistant structures and structures. In this case, the presence of iron oxides is unacceptable. In addition, the amount of iron directly affects the color of the cement: the lighter it is, the lower the percentage of additives. Gray cement, in contrast, has the highest content of iron oxides.
If we continue to analyze the chemical composition of cement, then we can also find aluminum oxide in it. The largest amount of alumina contained in the cement gives it heat resistance properties. In high-quality cement, the content of this substance is about 60%.
In addition to the above oxides, the composition of cement includes oxides of calcium, silicon, and magnesium. Cement manufacturers are actively struggling to ensure that their products do not contain oxides of chromium, which is an active metal and enters into undesirable chemical reactions.
Depending on the composition of cement, it is divided into types having different
physical properties: gypsum slag, quick setting, ash, alumina, gypsum-alumina and waterproof.
To improve the quality of cement, various active mineral additives are added to the composition of cement. They come in artificial or natural origin. Cement additives give it various properties: improve its workability and increase fluidity, improve extensibility, reduce shrinkage, and change ductility and density. In addition, the addition of these substances contributes to the durability and strength of cement mortars.
Cement additives are used not only to improve some of its individual physical properties, but also to change, for example, color. For these purposes, you can use ordinary paint.