In: International Cement Review, 10, 2023: 16-21.

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.

The aim of IGF project 21619 is to develop a training simulator with which learners can independently solve typical process engineering tasks within a virtual reality (VR) environment, particularly in connection with ball mills.

The aim of the research project is to investigate the suitability of previously largely unused mineral secondary raw materials from the stone and earth industry as a resource-conserving and climate-friendly main cement constituent. The use of cal-cined clays from secondary raw materials instead of conventional main cement constituents or high-quality primary clays can make an important contribution to the production of climate-friendly and resource-efficient cements.

With us, you can expand your knowledge around the production of cement and lime, as well as in the area of concrete technology. As a competent partner, we have been offering our customers individual qualification solutions since 2010. In addition to German-language online courses, we also offer English- and Russian-language courses and other services.

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).

With the decarbonisation of cement production and the expected reduction in blastfurnace slag and fly ash quantities, unburned limestone, calcined clays, and recycled fines will gain in importance as cement main constituents. The focus will be on new, clinker-effcient cement types such as CEM II/C and CEM VI cements, whose performance allows a wide range of applications in practice. This online seminar provides an overview of the current state of development and standardisation of new cements. The possibilities and limits for practical implementation will be presented.

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.

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.