Scaled-up commercial production of reactive magnesium cement pressed masonry units. Part I: Production

Abstract

Reactive magnesia cements have recently emerged as a potentially more sustainable and technically superior alternative to Portland cement as they set by absorbing carbon dioxide and as a result gain significant strength. This two-part publication investigates the application of reactive magnesia alone as the cement component in pressed masonry units and compares it to those containing Portland cement. Laboratory-scale production was performed followed by a scaled-up commercial production at the Forticrete plant in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, UK. A range of aggregates were used in the blocks including natural aggregates, Lytag, an ash mix and a limestone mix. This paper, the first of a two-part publication, details both the laboratory-scale and commercial production processes including scaling-up issues faced and an assessment of the physical integrity of the produced blocks. This paper highlights the feasibility of producing reactive magnesia-aggregates masonry blocks on a commercial scale. It also highlights the correlation between laboratory work and the commercial production process and how commercial production activities strongly influence the production outcome.