Top 10 different types of cement

Cement is a binding material, which binds the aggregates and reinforcing materials together. When technology developed, quality and types of cement also has been developed.  There are different types cement materials available in the market. Therefore, a lot of cement manufactures industries also available around the world. However, different types of cement materials are used for various construction works. Continue reading to know about different types of cements.

1.      Ordinary Portland cement (OPC)

Ordinary Portland cement is widely used for ordinary construction work. The composition of Ordinary Portland Cement is argillaceous or silicates of alumina (clay and shale), and calcareous or calcium carbonate (limestone, chalk, and marl). It is mostly used for general construction purposes as well as most of the masonry works.

2.      Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC)

Portland Pozzolana Cement is made with OPC clinker, Gypsum, and Pozzolana material. Pozzolana is natural or synthetic materials, which contains silica in reactive forms. It is mostly used in hydraulic structures, marine structures, construction near the seashore, dam construction, and to manufacture of precast sewage pipes etc. Also, it gives a better surface finish; so, it is used in decorative and art structures.

3.      Rapid Hardening Cement

In the Rapid Hardening Cement, Tri-calcium silicate is present in OPC with higher content. Rapid hardening gypsum plaster is used where rapid construction is needed such as construction of pavement because it gives high strength to the structure.

4.      Quick Setting Cement

Quick Setting Cement is cement, which is used where it’s needed to be set in a short time. It is made with clinker, aluminium sulphate, and more. It is mostly used in underwater constructions, rainy and cold weather conditions, higher temperature where water evaporates easily, and anchoring or rock bolt mining and tunnelling.

5.      Low Heat cement

Low Heat cement is a spatial type of cement, which produces low heat of hydration during setting. Some chemical compositions are used to reduce the heat of hydration. It is made with low percentage of tricalcium aluminates, and higher percentage of declaim silicate. It is mostly used to construct dam’s large footing, large raft slabs, wind turbine plinths, and chemical and cement plants.

6.      Sulphate Resistant cement

Sulphate Resistant cement is used to resist sulphate attacks in cement plant. It is mostly used in drainage works, cooling towers, water storage, chemical industries, coastal protective works such as sea walls, break waters, tetra pods, etc. 

7.      Blast Furnace cement

The composition of Portland cement clinker, and granulated blast furnaces are used to make Blast Furnace cement. It is highly sulphate resistant, so used for seawater construction.

8.      High Alumina cement

High Alumina cement is made with calcining bauxite, and ordinary lime, and clinker. It is mostly used where the gypsum plaster structures are subjected to high temperatures, and frost and acidic action such as workshop, refractory, foundries, and etc.

9.      White cement

White cement is similar to Ordinary Portland cement, except color. Iron and manganese amounts low in white cement. Therefore, it is mostly used for decorative work, swimming pools, roof tiles patching, and terrazzo surfaces.

10.  Colored cement

Different types of pigments are added to make different colors of cement. Selected pigments are grinded with OPC to make this. It is mostly used for different decorative work.