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.

Ziel des IGF-Vorhabens 19276 N war es, grundlegende Erkenntnisse zur bedarfsgerechten Verdichtung von leicht zu verarbeitenden Betonen in Abhängigkeit der Frischbetoneigenschaften zu gewinnen. Die Untersuchungen sollten dabei den gesamten möglichen Bereich der Frischbetoneigenschaften von LVB abdecken.

In the AiF project EVCAZ, the energetic and material utilisation of wastes containing carbon fibres is to be demonstrated on an industrial scale in a cement plant. The central tasks are the evaluation of the conversion success of the CF fibres, the recording of the resulting emissions and the consideration of influences on the process and the clinker quality. The findings obtained are summarised to assess health and environmental risks and to answer questions relevant to approval as a decision-making aid for cement plant operators.

Redol deals with closing material cycles using the city of Zaragoza as an example. The research project focuses on solid urban waste, which is an abundant source to produce circular products. Five value chains for solid urban waste in the Aragon region will be redesigned in order to be able to produce circular products using an industrial-urban symbiosis approach.

In the research project, infrared cameras are used to record the surface temperature of the clinker bed in the clinker cooler. Together with calculated enthalpy flows, this allows control room personnel to identify the operating condition of the cooler. This is used in operational tests to optimise the heat transfer in the clinker cooler by controlling the drive system and adjusting the cooling air distribution.

Raw material preparation and cement grinding are the first and the last major process steps during cement production. The energy demand of these two processes amounts to up to 70 % of the electrical energy used in a cement plant. This training will enable participants to obtain a better understanding of the comminution processes as well as the equipment used for material grinding to ensure high levels of availability. This altogether will allow an optimisation of production rates and reducing energy consumption.

Participants will get a comprehensive overview of concepts for ensuring the durability of concrete structures. In addition to the damage mechanisms the concrete technology and design elements as well as the execution are explained. On the basis of examples the influence of the cement on durability-relevant parameters is going to be explained. Performance concepts and the principles of service life design are also addressed. For the participants it is possible to discuss their current issues from operational practice.

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 participants to obtain a deeper knowledge of the clinker production process and a better understanding of the impacts that daily decisions of plant personnel can make on the plant’s performance (quality, electrical energy use, fuel consumption and emissions).

Climate protection and digitisation are key challenges for the cement industry: More than 600 representatives from the international cement industry and associated suppliers, as well as from scientific and research institutes around the world, gathered at the International VDZ Congress 2018 in Duesseldorf at the end of September. Steeped in tradition, the VDZ Congress is one of the world's most important events in the industry. The 40 talks held at this year's congress focused on particularly pressing topics such as climate protection and digitisation. The participants also discussed current technical challenges and the general situation with regard to cement production. A further highlight was an evening ceremony at which the winners of the VDZ Industrial Safety Prize 2017 received their awards.

The 9th International VDZ Congress will take place in Düsseldorf on 6 – 8 November 2024. Following our tradition, we are delighted to host our congress again and provide a forum for a global exchange on the key topics in cement process technology and the decarbonisation aspects of the full cement and concrete value chain. Please save the date.