Formation of Clinker Containing Lithium

Nowadays, in industrial production, lithium consumption is strongly increasing and it can be assumed that waste material with an increased content of this metal could also appear. One of the most important sectors where different types of waste can be utilized is the cement industry. Therefore, it is desirable to monitor the influence of lithium on formation and properties of the clinker. In the presented work, this effect was monitored in laboratory conditions up to 5 wt.% Li2O. X-ray diffraction, DTA and optical microscopy were employed as research methods. Among other things, it has been found that Li2O causes the decomposition of the alite, the major clinker phase, to a microcrystalline mixture of belite and free lime, depending on its content and clinker cooling rate.