Advances in clinker grinding aids: Understanding mechanisms and enhancing cementitious system performance

Abstract

Grinding aids (GAs) are widely used in the cement industry to reduce grinding energy and carbon dioxide emissions while assuring superior product performance. This review paper provides a better understanding of the grinding aid (GA) mechanisms of action including their effect on clinker grindability, cement properties, and environmental impact. The current literature is comprehensively reviewed to understand the interactions between GAs and cement particles, whether during the clinker comminution process as well as after incorporation into the concrete mix. The modified cement properties such as the zeta potential and material flow, compatibility with polycarboxylate-based superplasticizers, rheology, hydration degree, morphology of hydrated compounds, and strength development are discussed. The main findings showed that the enhanced grinding efficiency can be attributed to two main principles, including an adsorption effect that improves the cement flow properties and a physico-chemical effect that reduces the surface energy of individual particles and alters the particle arrangement. This comprehensive review can be of interest to cement researchers and admixture manufacturers to better understand the technology of GAs including its effect on grinding energy optimization.