White cement has high strength characteristics with its high bond strength and adhesion strength in addition to being aesthetic. High early strength property of white cement helps to increase the manufacturing speed as well. This also reduces formwork removal time. It also provides quite high levels of dosage advantage thanks to its final strength higher than gray cement. White cement can be preferred in pumice manufacture due to its being aesthetic, durable, strong and economic. In this post, we will talk about what pumice is and the reasons why white cement is preferred in its manufacture.
What is Pumice? What Does It Do, Why Is It Used?
Today, insulation is one of the most important construction works. Different materials are used to provide sound insulation and heat insulation. Pumice is a light construction material with high heat and sound insulation properties, providing high protection against fire as well as humidity balance and it does not harm the environment. Pumice is frequently preferred for structures especially due to its durability against many external factors and it is used effectively. It may be considered as the first step in protecting structures against all kinds of factors. Therefore, pumice has great importance in exterior and interior areas. It is frequently used among construction elements such as floorings, hollow structures, etc.
White Cement Usage In Pumice Manufacture
The demands of pumice manufacturers include short setting time for cement at an optimum extent, fast formwork removal, high early strength, low thermal conductivity coefficient and providing logistic advantage. And white cement provides these properties. It provides dosage advantages up to 40% especially at early ages compared to gray cement due to its high early and final strength. It gains fast strength without requiring steam curing. Thus, it provides a cost advantage as well. In addition, it provides capacity increase by increasing manufacturing speed. This enables a reduction in formwork costs and provides for fast delivery. White cement is frequently preferred in pumice manufacture due to its being strong, economical, and able to provide for pumice manufacturers’ demands in addition to its aesthetic properties.
Tests
Pumice manufacturers had conducted a study for 3 months. This study was examined in 4 different stages. The first stage consisted of cement tests in a laboratory with different cement types. The second stage included pumice manufacture with different dosages in actual production. The third stage included evaluation of pumice properties according to the actual production results. And white pumice was subjected to thermal conductivity tests at the final stage.
Figure 1. Mixture Amounts Used As Standard
Figure 2. Comparison of Time-Dependent Compressive Strength Change for Mixtures Made with Gray CEM I 42.5 Cement and Çimsa Super White CEM I 52.5 Cement
In the compressive comparison made for gray and white cement mixtures presented in Figure 1, white cement usage is observed to increase compressive strength.
Figure 3. Weights of Pumice Produced with Differing Cement Dosages
As seen in Figure 3, a weight advantage of 1 kg per pumice was obtained with white cement usage decreasing dosage by 40%.
Figure 4. Hydration Heat By Cement Type
Hydration heat is the total heat released during strength gaining of cement. You can check out What Is Hydration? How Does Cement Hydration Occur? titled post to learn more about cement hydration. Figure 4 shows that CEM I 52.5 N Super White product has higher hydration heat compared to other types. This enables faster production opportunity during winter months.
Figure 5. a) Thermal Conductivity Value Obtained with White Cement, b) Thermal Conductivity Value Obtained With Gray Cement
According to the results of thermal conductivity analysis conducted by TSE, white cement usage in pumice manufacture was shown to provide minimum 5% improvement in thermal conductivity value.
Figure 6. Costs of Pumice Produced With Differing Cement Dosages
Why ÇimSA White Cement Usage Is Important In Pumice Manufacture?
White cement has many properties to be preferred for pumice manufacture other than having excellent aesthetic properties due to its white color. White cement usage in pumice manufacture significantly reduces formwork removal time. Production may be done much faster in winter months due to its high hydration heat. Pumice early strengths would show an increase of 47% with the white cement usage. 5% better insulation is provided thanks to its low thermal conductivity property. Finally, low pumice weight would create a logistic advantage. Due to all of these properties, white cement can meet the demands of pumice manufacturers and it is preferred by many of them.
