Volume 60, Issue 335, May - August 2024

Oxides assessment of different brands of cement in Nigeria

Enajeme Daniel Agbaghare¹, Dennis Amaechi², Benjamin Nma Yisa²

¹Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Veritas University Abuja, Nigeria
²Department of Biochemistry, Veritas University, Abuja, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

The composition of Portland cement largely depends on the raw mix design consisting majorly of lime (CaO), silica (SiO2), alumina (Al2O3) and ferrite (Fe2O3) which configurations largely defines the quality of the final product. In this study, ten different brands of cement (labelled A-J) randomly obtained from different Nigerian markets were assessed for their physicochemical properties in accordance with the Nigerian Industrial Standard. The results obtained were compared to the Nigerian Industrial Standard (NIS), British Standard (BS) and others. Most of the samples met required specifications with the exception of few. Sample D with 2- and 7-days compressive strengths of 1.5N/mm2 and 9.8N/mm2 respectively is below standard specifications of NIS. In similar vein, the 28 days compressive strengths for samples D (25.9N/mm2), E (42.0N/mm2) and F (40.7N/mm2) are similarly below the BS and NIS. This can be attributed to the low amounts of CaO in the respective samples. The high levels of additives (above NIN specification) as indicated in the Loss on Ignition (LOI) of samples A (8.09%), C (7.43), D (14.56%), E (10.99%), F (11.22%), G (7.83%), H (7.74%), I (7.70%) and J (9.16%) could be responsible for the relatively low values of SiO2 in the samples. The variation of aluminum oxide in the different brands are within advisable range. It is imperative therefore to recommend that use of additives in cement production be applied with moderation and compliance to standards by cement manufacturers should be a paramount objective with optimal consistency.

Keywords: Ordinary Portland cement, oxides, physicochemical properties

Discovery, 2024, 60, e17d1433

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v60i335.e17d1433

Published: 23 May 2024