Issue 04-05/2025

Even during the summer break, developments in the cement, lime, and gypsum sectors continue as usual. In this issue of ZKG, Erik von Lützau, Gotthard Walter, and Sabine Flamme discuss the “Potentials of material and energy recovery of ETICS waste with EPS in the cement plant”, while Dr. Joachim Harder focuses on “The Future of Calcined Clay by 2035 and 2050”, and Olaf Köster, Michelle Rollié and Christian Speith report on “The Górażdże modernization project”.

Mammoet is helping the industry to decarbonize by providing safe and efficient solutions for moving and installing heavy objects. This was the case for the construction of the first large-scale Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) plant for the cement plant at the Lengfurt site of Heidelberg Materials - one of the world‘s largest manufacturers of building materials.

The new “Eleven Decks” residential building in HafenCity Hamburg/Germany impresses with its striking architecture made of red exposed concrete. Balconies and loggias made of through-colored monolithic precast concrete elements set architectural accents. Cement from Heidelberg Materials played a central role in the realization of the sophisticated concrete elements.

For producers of cement and building materials, efficiency, sustainability, and worker health and safety are key to operational success and brand reputation. Packaging plays a crucial role in all three areas. To assess performance, CEPI Eurokraft commissioned lab tests comparing paper and woven polypropylene (WPP) cement sacks.

Simple, smart and reliable – these characteristics have enabled the BASIC series of VEGAPULS radar sensors to establish itself as the benchmark in level measurement technology since its market launch in 2020. Compact, attractively priced and technologically superior, the sensors are setting a clear trend in process automation.

MultiView Enterprise, the latest technology innovation from Thermoteknix Systems Ltd., developed for cement plants, is the first integrated sensor platform to deliver operators and plant managers the ultimate display and control solution for temperature monitoring and measurement across their clinker manufacturing process.

The Portland Company, offering the world’s first Assemble to Order (ATO) packing equipment product line in partnership with Haver & Boecker, offers the PANTHERA-PACKER PVT packer*. This predefined rotary packing machine provides a standardized approach to filling industrial bulk materials in valve bags that range from 25 kg to 50 kg in size.

New design and lower weight: These are the advantages of the new central chains from RUD. The central chains are available in several sizes with an integrated or a separate mounting bracket.

With the completed expansion of its TestCenter in Darmstadt/Germany, Qlar now offers its customers comprehensive support in the simulation of blending processes. As part of sustainable cement production, the use of additives in concrete production can be tested and optimised.

31 May 2025 marked the end of an era at the Kirchdorfer Group: After more than 30 years with company, including 21 years at its helm – 18 as sole CEO and three in partnership with Michael Wardian – Erich Frommwald is stepping down from the management board.

Aumund is pleased to announce that, as of June 25, 2025, ESI Eurosilo B.V., headquartered in Purmerend, the Netherlands, has officially joined the internationally operating Aumund Group.

Wacker is responding to rising demand for high-quality specialty silicones in China by expanding its production capacities at its Zhangjiagang site. The Group held a ceremony today to celebrate the mechanical completion of the facilities.

Polish cement manufacturer Heidelberg Materials Poland relied on the technical expertise and technology of thyssenkrupp Polysius to solve problems with its rotary kilns at its Górażdże plant. This modernization order was the largest single order to date for the thyssenkrupp Polysius Service Team in terms of value - and this one was for kiln lines from a third-party supplier.

The market for clay calcination is booming. However, up to now the production is not more than 0.05% of the global cement production, although it has been projected that by 2050 a global market share of 8% could be achieved. Is this still realistic? What are the main prospects and existing market barriers? Answers to these questions and more information is given in the following article.

A numerical simulation was carried out for a 6500T/D NSF-I precalciner in a China Resources Cement Plant. The coupling process between coal powder combustion and calcium carbonate decomposition was...

The drumming sound of bulk material hitting the metal sides of a hopper, bin or silo during loading is the sweet sound of production. If the noise becomes muffled, it likely indicates that the vessel is filling up, or it could signal the presence of buildup on the inside walls or the discharge gate. Once coarse material adheres, the buildup is generally fast and dense, eventually resulting in downtime to remove.

Pneumatic conveying systems for injecting solids against very high back pressures (sometimes up to ≅ 50 bar) are used particularly in special gasification systems, but also in other processes. The following text provides a general insight into the aspects to be considered in the system concept and design for such requirements and provides appropriate calculation approaches.

The production of dry-mix mortar aggregate requires effective interaction of suitable comminution and sizing machines. For this purpose, experimental tests on pilot or large-scale are essential.

For some time now, manufacturers’ associations have been pointing out that the phasing out of coal-fired power generation could lead to a shortfall in the supply of gypsum raw materials. The potential of gypsum recycling is currently insufficient and cannot be fully exploited due to the lack of a legal basis. Will there be a shortage of gypsum in Germany if coal-fired power plants are no longer connected to the grid? “Yes,” says a BGR study, which has now been presented to representatives from industry,

The waste heat power plant at the Rohrdorf cement works has been producing certified green electricity since January 2024. The certificate of origin issued by an environmental auditor proves that around a third of the 18.3 million kW/h of electricity produced at the power plant in 2024 comes from renewable energy.

Christoph Streicher took over the position of Spokesman of the Management Board Germany at Heidelberg Materials on April 1. In this role, he is responsible for the strategic orientation and further development of the German business.

Ecocem, as part of a consortium of Europe’s leading academic and industrial leaders, has announced it has been awarded € 4 million in research funding the European Innovation Council (EIC). The grant comes as part of the EIC Pathfinder Challenges 2024 and will support a programme of work which will focus on optimising the environmental compatibility of Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) slag for low-carbon cement.

A large-scale test has shown that ETICS waste with HBCD-containing EPS can be materially and energetically recovered under controlled conditions without negative effects on emissions, operation and clinker quality - a possible building block for a broader raw materials strategy.

(22) 24.05.2022(43) 12.08.2022(57) The invention belongs to the technical field of refractory materials, and particularly relates to a hanging top brick for a cement kiln head cover. The tophung brick...

(22) 04.07.2024(43) 13.09.2024(57) The invention discloses roller type grinding equipment for cement manufacturing, and belongs to the technical field of grinding equipment, the roller type grinding...

(22) 08.11.2024(43) 20.12.2024(57) The invention discloses a double-kiln lime powder pneumatic conveying device, and relates to the technical field of double-kiln lime powder conveying devices. The...

(22) 13.12.2024(43) 14.01.2025(57) The invention provides cement raw material grinding equipment, which belongs to the technical field of grinding, and comprises a support plate, a first ballmilling...

(22) 02.02.2023(43) 04.04.2025(57) A method for operating a plant for producing cement clinker, wherein the plant comprises as plant units, in the direction of gas flow, at least one clinker cooler,...

(22) 28.08.2024(43) 03.04.2025(57) A system for use in the production of a gypsum product is described, the system comprising a calciner for calcining gypsum; the calcincr comprising at least one...

(22) 25.09.2024(43) 10.04.2025(57) The invention relates to the use of thermal energy that originates from a process for producing cement clinker in which ooff-gas is produced that is enriched with...

(22) 26.09.2024(43) 10.04.2025(57) The invention relates to a plant (100, 200, 300, 400) for producing cement clinker from raw meal, comprising at least one heat exchanger (110, 210, 310, 410) located...

(22) 04.10.2024(43) 10.04.2025(57) A method of producing cement clinker from a source of calcium sulfate, comprising - blending a source of calcium sulfate with silica, alumina, and iron oxide...

(22) 11.10.2024(43) 17.04.2025(57) A method of producing a pozzolanic material for use in a low-carbon cement, comprising: - providing an argillaceous material that comprises 1 — 49 wt.-% kaolinite,...

When I entered the cement industry 30 years ago, I couldn‘t have made a better choice. I was looking for a job that was technically diverse and offered plenty of contact with people from all over the world. The relatively small, yet fully international cement industry offered all of this perfectly. Unfortunately, we are now seeing many countries around the world revert to archaic reflexes.