An Overview of Cement production: How “green” and sustainable is the industry?

Abstract

Problem statement: This paper tries to answer the question: Is cement production still a sustainable industry in the 21 st century? Approach: It starts off by considering the current status quo and potential alternatives for the production process, right from the raw meal composition stage through to the final application of cement in concrete. Results: In the process alternative raw meal components and energy sources are reviewed in detail. The changes that could and should be made to cement plants and equipment to produce cement more sustainably, as well as different types of other binders that can be used for construction, are discussed. The suitability of the cement production process to destroy wastes and utilize byproducts from other industrial processes, are highlighted and analysed. Alternative methods and equipment to manufacture cement, are summarized and ways to get rid off or convert the released carbon dioxide from the cement manufacturing, are discussed. Conclusions:In the final instance the conclusion is reached that the cement industry, despite proven new technology, equipment and concepts, can do more to respond fast enough and to a sufficient extent to improve the sustainability of their operations substantially and to an acceptable level for the 21 st century.

Industrial Processes Management for a Sustainable Society: Global Research Analysis

“…Cluster 1 (grey) is about the thematic axe "Sustainability in processes". Cluster 1 is the bigger group and it has the 32% of the total keywords, Environmental Protection leads Cluster 1 with (113 articles) followed by Innovation (87 articles), Economics (83), Stakeholder (80), Food Industry (68), Economic and Social Effects (58), Agriculture (55), Environmental Economics (54), Conservation of Natural Resources (52), Forestry (45), Corporate Social Responsibility (44), Ecology (44), Forest Management (43), Implementation Process (39), Land Use (38), Governance Approach (33), Case Study (32), Public Policy (32), Strategic Approach (31), Strategic Planning (31), Biodiversity (30), Developing Countries (30), Industrial Ecology (30), Ecotourism (27), Education (27), Policy (26), Economic Aspect (25), or Ecosystem (25) among others.…”

“…Cluster 2 has the highest centrality and includes the 30% of total keywords. 28, Costs (27), Industrial Management (27), Textile Industry (27), Environmental Regulations (26), Industrial Research (26), and Benchmarking (25).…”

“…Cluster 4 is associated with the following keywords: Water Supply (71), Industrial Waste (62), Wastewater (45), Water Conservation (41), Waste Water Management (39), Water Resources (38), Energy Conservation (36), Water Quality (36), Chemical Industry (35), Water (32), Pollution (31), Water Resource (31), Water Pollution (30), Water Treatment (30), Waste Water (29), Sewage (28), Waste Treatment(27), Effluent(26), Effluents(25), and Energy(25).…”

Reduction of Energy Consumption in Cement Industry Using Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles

“…Approximately 850 kg of CO2 is emitted per ton of clinker produced (Shivaram 2014) and environmental particulate matter in the process. It is estimated that 5-8% of all carbon dioxide greenhouse gases generated by human activities originates from cement production (Potgieter 2012, Scrivener 2014, Olivier et al 2015. Carbon dioxide is predominant among the greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted as a byproduct of clinker production, an intermediate product in cement manufacture, in which calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is calcinated and converted to lime (CaO).…”

Maximizing the Sustainability of Cement Utilization in Building Projects through the Use of Greener Materials

“…Furthermore, the cement industry generates between 5% and 10% of the global harmful anthropogenic gases that impact negatively the atmosphere [6]. With the world production of cement estimated to reach 5 billion tonnes by 2030 [7], there seems to be an alarming situation in the future. Nowadays, cement industries and buildings professionals are advocating for the use of industrial by-products and friendly environmental materials that could mitigate the negative impacts that threaten sustainable development.…”