Modelling the effect of the cement components fineness on performance and environmental impact of composite cements

A modeling tool for optimizing composite cements composition and production is presented. The tool is based on three models allowing the calculation of 1) the kinetics of the hydration, 2) evolution of the phase assemblage including apparent porosity, 3) the evolution of the compressive strength and the environmental impact of cement production as function of cement composition and fineness of its constituents. Results show that cements with performance exceeding that of mostly sold cements in Europe but with clinker factor of 60% or less and contain 20% of limestone are feasible. Finer grinding of clinker and slag reduces the overall CO2 footprint as the clinker replaced offsets the extra emissions associated in grinding. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.