Ziel des Forschungsvorhabens war es, den Einfluss von Nebenoxiden aus Brennstoffaschen auf die Bildungstemperaturen der Klinkerschmelze und auf die damit verbundene Klinkermineralogie herauszuarbeiten. Ebenso sollten die Auswirkungen der verringerten Prozesstemperatur und der veränderten Eigenschaften der Klinkerschmelze auf die notwendige Bildung von Coatingschichten sowie die Feuerfestkorrosion und damit auf die Haltbarkeit der feuerfesten Zustellung in der Sinterzone des Drehrohrofens aufgeklärt werden.

The purpose of the research project is to gain the first systematic scientific findings on spalling behaviour in the event of fire and on thermo-mechanical and thermo-physical properties for concretes with the new clinker-efficient cement types and with recycled aggregates.

As plans are progressing for the CCUS infrastructure for transporting, storing and using CO₂, it is becoming increasingly clear that the separated CO₂ must be very pure in order to be used or stored. CC technologies are currently being planned with considerable engineering effort and electricity consumption for gas cleaning systems to separate unwanted accompanying substances. This is where this project comes in. It aims to investigate an innovative concept that could significantly reduce this effort.

The aim of the research project was to investigate the suitability of largely unutilised mineral secondary raw materials from the stone and earth industry as a resource-conserving and climate-friendly main cement constituent. The utilisation of calcined clays from secondary raw materials instead of conventional cement main constituents or high-quality primary clays can make an important contribution to the production of climate-friendly and resource-efficient cements. This means that the transformation process of the cement industry can be shaped in a way that is not only cli-mate-friendly but also resource-efficient.

In this training you will become familiar with all relevant aspects concerning the use of alternative fuels in cement plants. Starting with the main political drivers such as the circular economy and the European waste fuel strategy, you will get a detailed insight into the current state-of-the-art-situation with regard to the use of alternative fuels in the EU. In this context, pre-treatment and suitable quality control of alternative fuels will be also explained and presented to you. You will focus on all the relevant aspects of the use of alternative fuels in the burning process (e.g. drivers and barriers of their use, available process technology and latest developments) and discuss them in the sessions. You will acquire knowledge about technical feasibility and optimisation potential, and have the possibility to discuss case studies.

In the seminar "Digital transformation: Basics and examples from cement production" you will learn how digital technologies, in the context of Industry 4.0, are fundamentally changing the cement industry. In both Europe and the rest of the world, the industry is working towards making production processes more efficient, using resources more effectively and improving quality continuously. Data-based applications, the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) are being used to create autonomous and intelligent systems that monitor, analyse and optimise processes in real time. These systems are used for a variety of purposes, including IoT-supported applications for process control and data acquisition, AI models for predicting production parameters, simulation tools to optimise industrial processes as well as digital twins for the virtual mapping and control of plants.

Clinker production is the most energy-intensive process step in cement manufacturing. It can represent up to 90% of the total energy demand in a cement plant and is therefore a main focus not only with regard to cost optimisation and quality improvement of the final product, but also regarding emission control and the reduction of impacts on the environment. VDZ’s training will enable you as participant to obtain a deeper knowledge of the clinker production process and a better understanding of how the daily decisions can impact the overall performance of the plant (quality, electrical energy use, fuel consumption and emissions).

The 9ᵗʰ International VDZ Congress took place in Düsseldorf on 6 – 8 November 2024. The VDZ Congress is the international scientific forum for the cement industry and its suppliers. Delegates from all over the world discuss the latest developments concerning the transformation of the industry on its way towards climate neutrality.