Spent bleaching earth co-processing in cement kiln & its effect on physical properties of cement

Abstract

The spent bleaching earth is a waste generated during fatty acid manufacturing, and its disposal has always been challenging for industries. In the cement industry, co-processing in the cement kiln has always been the safest way to dispose the waste and reduce the carbon footprint. In this study, the fuel in the cement kiln was mixed with spent bleaching earth in the ratio of 8, 12, and 16 w/w %, and the thermal substitution potential of spent bleaching earth in the kiln and its effect on clinker quality & Cement quality has been checked. Furthermore, Characterization like compressive strength, setting time, water absorption, and slump test has been carried out to check the quality of cement by mixed fuel. The obtained result reveals that the spent bleaching earth can be used 12 w/w % of total fuel without affecting the cement quality with the existing raw material. Therefore, the spent bleaching earth can be used as a partial replacement of fuel without comprising the quality on any of the characteristics of cement and clinker.