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History of Cement

In 1824 Joseph Aspdin, a British stonemason, obtained a patent for a cement he produced in his kitchen. The inventor heated a mixture of finely ground limestone and clay on his kitchen stove and ground the mixture together into a powder to create a hydraulic cement—one that hardens with the addition of water. He named the product portland cement because it resembled a stone quarried on the Isle of Portland, off the British coast. With this invention, Aspdin laid the foundation for today’s portland cement industry.

Modern portland cement, the basic ingredient of concrete, is a closely controlled chemical combination of calcium, silicon, aluminum, iron and small amounts of other ingredients. Gypsum is added in the final grinding process to regulate the setting time of the concrete. Common among the materials used in its manufacture are limestone, shells, and chalk or marl combined with shale, clay, slate or blast furnace slag, silica sand, and iron ore. Lime and silica make up about 85% of the mass.

Each step in manufacture of portland cement is checked by frequent chemical and physical tests in plant laboratories. The finished product is also analyzed and tested to ensure that it complies with all specifications. More information

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