Evaluation of Kuwaiti Argillaceous Materials as a Replacement of Sand for Clinker Production

The clay materials from the investigated Bahra area were studied under laboratory conditions for its suitability to replace sand and compensate for some of the bauxite and the iron ore used in the raw mixes for the manufacture of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and sulphate-resistant cement (SRC). The testing program was based mostly on the two fundamental parameters: the grindability and burnability. Results have shown that the raw mixes with Bahra clay required less energy for grinding to attain the critical fineness. Also, it was evident from the grindability tests that Bahra clay matches the same grindability of the limestone, while the sand requires much longer time to attain the same fineness. Results of the burnability tests showed that adding Bahra clay to the raw mixes has solved the technical problems of fusing and cracking during burning. Results of burnability tests were very encouraging for SRC raw mixes with Bahra clay as the quality of clinker was similar to that of the SRC.