Composition of cement

Introduction

Portland cement gets its strength from chemical reactions between the cement and water. The process 

is known as hydration. This is a complex process that is best understood by first understanding the 

chemical composition of cement. 

Manufacture of cement

Portland cement is manufactured by crushing, milling and proportioning the following materials: 

◦ Lime or calcium oxide, CaO: from limestone, chalk, shells, shale or calcareous rock

◦ Silica, SiO2: from sand, old bottles, clay or argillaceous rock

◦ Alumina, Al2O3: from bauxite, recycled aluminum, clay

◦ Iron, Fe2O3: from from clay, iron ore, scrap iron and fly ash

◦ Gypsum, CaSO4.2H20: found together with limestone

The materials, without the gypsum, are proportioned to produce a mixture with the desired chemical 

composition and then ground and blended by one of two processes - dry process or wet process. The 

materials are then fed through a kiln at 2,600o F to produce grayish-black pellets known as clinker. 

The alumina and iron act as fluxing agents which lower the melting point of silica from 3,000 to 

2600o F. After this stage, the clinker is cooled, pulverized and gypsum added to regulate setting time. 

It is then ground extremely fine to produce cement. 

Chemical shorthand

Because of the complex chemical nature of cement, a shorthand form is used to denote the chemical 

compounds. The shorthand for the basic compounds is: 

Compound Formula Shorthand form

Calcium oxide (lime) Ca0 C

Silicon dioxide (silica) SiO2 S

Aluminum oxide (alumina) Al2O3 A

Iron oxide Fe2O3 F

Water H2O H

Sulfate SO3 S

 Chemical composition of clinker

The cement clinker formed has the following typical composition: 

Compound Formula Shorthand 

form

% by 

weight1

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Tricalcium aluminate Ca3Al2O6 C3A 10

Tetracalcium aluminoferrite Ca4Al2Fe2O10 C4AF 8

Belite or dicalcium silicate Ca2SiO5 C2S 20

Alite or tricalcium silicate Ca3SiO4 C3S 55

Sodium oxide Na2O N ) 

Potassium oxide K )Up to 2 2O K

Gypsum CaSO4.2H2O CSH2 5

Representative weights only. Actual weight varies with type of cement.

Source: Mindess & Young

Properties of cement compounds

These compounds contribute to the properties of cement in different ways 

• Tricalcium aluminate, C3A:-

It liberates a lot of heat during the early stages of hydration, but has little strength contribution. 

Gypsum slows down the hydration rate of C3A. Cement low in C3A is sulfate resistant. 

• Tricalcium silicate, C3S:-

This compound hydrates and hardens rapidly. It is largely responsible for portland cement’s initial set 

and early strength gain. 

• Dicalcium silicate, C2S:

C2S hydrates and hardens slowly. It is largely responsible for strength gain after one week. 

• Ferrite, C4AF:

This is a fluxing agent which reduces the melting temperature of the raw materials in the kiln (from 

3,000o F to 2,600o F). It hydrates rapidly, but does not contribute much to strength of the cement 

paste. 

By mixing these compounds appropriately, manufacturers can produce different types of cement to 

suit several construction environments. 

References:

Sidney Mindess & J. Francis Young (1981): Concrete, Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ, pp. 

671.

Steve Kosmatka & William Panarese (1988): Design and Control of Concrete Mixes, Portland 

Cement Association, Skokie, Ill. pp. 205.

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Michael Mamlouk & John Zaniewski (1999): Materials for Civil and Construction Engineers, 

Addison Wesley Longman, Inc.,

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