Though all portland cement is similar, eight types of cement are manufactured to meet different physical and chemical requirements for specific applications:

• Type I is a general purpose portland cement suitable for most uses.
• Type II is used for structures in water or soil containing moderate amounts of sulfate.
• Type II(MH) is a moderately sulfate resistant cement that also generates moderate heat during curing.
• Type III cement provides high strength at an early state, usually in a week or less.
• Type IV moderates heat generated by hydration that is used for massive concrete structures such as dams.
• Type V cement resists chemical attack by soil and water high in sulfates.
• Types IA, IIA, I(MH)A and IIIA are cements used to make air-entrained concrete. They have the same properties as Types I, II, II(MH), and III, except that they have small quantities of air-entraining materials combined with them.

White portland cement is made from the same raw materials as regular portland cement, but containing little or no iron or manganese, the substances that give conventional cement its gray color.

Some portland cements meet requirements for multiple cement types. For example, some cements are sold as Type I/II cements, which means that those cements meet all of the specification requirement in ASTM C150 (or AASHTO M 85) for both Type I and Type II.

See also:  What are blended cements?