What are the top 5 types of cement used in India and what are their applications?

Cement is a crucial component in the production of concrete. In fact, cement is a binder. It's a building material that hardens, sets, and adheres to other materials. It aids in their bonding. Cement is rarely used on its own. It's mainly used to hold sand and gravel together. India is the second largest producer of cement in the world. Generally, it is categorized through grades and these grades define the strength of the cement. There are many types of cement used in India, let's look at the most commonly used cement and their applications.

1. Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC):

One of the most common types of cement is Ordinary Portland cement. Ordinary Portland Cement is made of argillaceous or alumina silicates (clay and shale) and calcareous or calcium carbonate as raw materials (limestone, chalk, and marl). 

Applications of Ordinary Portland Cement:

• It is used for general construction purposes like plastering and flooring

• It is used for high-rise buildings, commercial and industrial buildings

2. Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC):

Portland Pozzolana Cement is made from OPC clinker, Gypsum, and Pozzolanic Materials. PPC is an eco-sustainable product because it is made from fly ash, a byproduct of thermal power plants. It is more resistant to alkali-silica reactions. 

Applications of Portland Pozzolana Cement:

• Because of its low hydration heat, it is preferred in mass construction

• It is also used to construct marine structures, hydraulic structures, dam constructions, etc.

3. Sulphate Resisting Portland Cement (SRPC):

Sulphate Resisting Portland Cement (SRPC) is a speciality cement used when sulphates are present at levels that damage concrete made with CEM I or CEM II cement. Also, it is used where concrete is in contact with soil, groundwater, seawater, or exposed to shore. 

Applications of Sulphate Resisting Portland Cement:

• It is used in foundations and piling works

• It is used in sewage and water treatment plants

4. Portland Slag Cement (PSC):

Portland slag cement is one of the types of blended cement. It is made by mixing Portland cement clinker, gypsum, and granular blast furnace slag in proper proportions and grinding the mixture to obtain a thorough and intimate blend between the components. 

Applications of Portland Slag Cement:

• It is used in residential, commercial, and industrial works

• Due to its high compressive strength, it is used to build roads and bridges, and dams. 

5. White Cement:

White cement is similar to ordinary grey cement in all facets except for its high whiteness. White cement is used in combination with white aggregate to produce white concrete for prestigious construction and decorative works. White cement is also used in combination with inorganic pigments to produce light-coloured concrete and mortar.

Applications of White Cement:

• It is used for tiles and flooring works

• It is used to increase architectural beauty

As Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC) are the most commonly used cement in construction works, it is not an easy task to choose the perfect cement for your construction. Let’s make your choice easier. Wonder Cement produces the best quality Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and Pozzolana Portland Cement (PPC), which is made of limestone. And, Wonder Cement has the best source of limestone in India. 

What is Portland Cement and which is the best Portland Cement in India?

Among cement types, Portland Cement is the most common. It is usually made by heating limestone (calcium carbonate) in a kiln with clay. This process is known as calcination and it liberates carbon dioxide from the calcium carbonate to form calcium oxide. This compound is then mixed with the other materials to form ‘clinkers’ i.e. cementitious compounds such as calcium silicates. These clinkers are then mixed with a small amount of gypsum into a powder to make Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC.)

As Ordinary Portland Cement is made of limestone, it’s important to source the best limestone possible to produce the best quality cement. And when it comes to this, no one can beat Wonder Cement. 

Wonder Cement mines limestone using eco-friendly blasting technology called NONEL (Shock Tube.) The newly mined limestone is then sent for crushing, grinding and packaging. This entire process is fully automated and adheres to strict quality standards. To ensure these standards are met, the ROBOTIC (POLAB) system has been deployed by Wonder Cement. 

Ordinary Portland Cement by Wonder Cement is ideal for applications like high-rise buildings, commercial and industrial complexes, roads, runways, bridges and flyovers, heavy defence structures, etc.  

OPC by Wonder Cement has many incredible benefits. Some of them are: 

• Due to its low percentage of alkalis, chlorides, magnesia and free line in its composition, the concrete made of Ordinary Portland Cement is highly durable and sound

• OPC has an almost negligible amount of chloride, this results in restraining corrosion of the concrete structure even in highly hostile environments

• Due to its high strength, one can save a significant amount in cement consumption while making concrete of grades M15, M20, M25, and M35 with OPC

Apart from OPC, Wonder Cement also makes Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC) and Xtreme. 

You can connect with your nearest Wonder Cement dealer for more information and the latest cement price.