Manufacture of Portland cement from Late Miocene claystone, Injana formation, Central Iraq

Abstract

The aim of this research is to provide a potential reserve of claystone suitable for ordinary Portland cement (OPC) industry using clay from the geological formation instead of the recent clay currently being exploited with negatively affects the environment as they reduce the agricultural soil. For this purpose, the thick exposed bed of Late Miocene clays of Injana Formation was targeted and evaluated in terms of mineralogy and geochemistry. Many laboratory experiments resulted in the production of clinker which was also assessed and passed successfully for the OPC. The main raw materials required for cement production are limestone and clay. The over-consumption of the recent clay for OPC participated in the stimulation the use of Late Miocene claystones alternatively which are added to the raw mixture (RM) of cement at a certain ratio. The Late Miocene Injana claystones are composed of kaolinite, illite, and chlorite, quartz, calcite, feldspar, and gypsum. The raw material composed of claystones to limestones (1:3 volume) has provided a cement mixture of Silica Ratio (SR = 2.8), Alumina Ratio (AR = 1.94), Silica Saturation Factor (SSF = 0.9), Lime Saturation Factor (LSF = 90.2), and a clinker composes mainly of alite (51. 67), belite (26. 65), aluminate (9.65), and ferrite (8. 4). Among the most important conclusions of this study is the validity of the clay studied for the cement industry, and with this conclusion, this research has proven that there is a huge reserve that can be used for OPC and encourage to save the agricultural lands without extraction.