Etched clinker minerals under 20 µm Typical clinker minerals under 20 µm Ground section of cement grain with 20 µm

the direct light microscope the direct light microscope clinker minerals under the direct light
microscope

Pictures originated at the electron mircoscope laboratory of Bauhaus-Universität Weimar

Granulated blast furnace slag 20 µm Ground granulated blast 2 µm Granulated blast furnace 2 µm
grain after granulation furnace slag slag grain with CSH
phases

143_LOESCHE-mills for cement and granulated blast furnace slag_EN

Bituminous coal flyash 5 µm Bituminous coal flyash 2 µm CSH phases 5 µm
with hydration edge

12/2015 Printed in Germany

Natural gypsum 20 µm Gypsum formation in 10 µm Calcium carbonate crystals 10 µm

building material structure
CEMENTMILL
LOESCHE-MILLS FOR CEMENT AND
GRANULATED BLAST FURNACE SLAG
Loesche technology – always a step ahead

Grinding of cement clinker and granulated blast furnace

slag in roller grinding mills (vertical airswept grinding mills)
is a technology introduced by Loesche. The first use of
a Loesche mill, with a grinding track diameter of only
1.1 metres, was used as long ago as 1935. However, the
breakthrough in grinding this type of material on the vertical
roller mill did not take place until the beginning of the 1990’s.

1935 The first Loesche mill for grinding cement clinker, an

LM 11, was commissioned in Joao Pessao, Brazil. In
the previous year E.G.Loesche had travelled there by
Zeppelin to sign the contract.

1985 Mills for grinding cement and granulated blast

furnace slag were installed in Asia under licence
from Loesche.

1994 The 2+2 technology, which was specially developed

for grinding clinker and granulated blast furnace slag,
was used for the first time in an LM 46.2+2 for cement
grinding in the Pu Shin mill works of Lucky Cement,
Taiwan.

1995 An LM 35.2+2 went into production in Fos sur Mer,

Ciments Lafarge, France, as the first mill for grinding
granulated blast furnace slag.

1999 The first LM 56.2+2 was installed at

Cementos Pacasmayo in Peru.

2004 The 50th Loesche mill with 2+2 technology

for grinding cement and granulated blast
furnace slag was sold worldwide.

2005 The first mill with 3+3 technology, an

LM 56.3+3, was commissioned in the
Rajgangpur works of OCL Ltd in India.

2006 The 100th Loesche mill for grinding cement and

granulated blast furnace slag was sold worldwide.

2007 More than 140 Loesche mills for grinding cement

and granulated blast furnace slag were sold world-
wide.

Central grinding plant for granulated blast furnace slag

LM 46.2+2, Dunkerque, France, 2005

2
The spring-loaded roller grinding mill for grinding coal was intro-
duced by Loesche in the 1920’s. Since the end of the 1930’s
Loesche mills have also been used for grinding cement raw
material. The biggest breakthrough in this field of application
took place in the 1960’s.
Soon after this the cement industry expressed the desire to
produce the final finished product, cement, using the more
energy-efficient roller mill grinding.
The first practical trials in Asia with cement grinding using
Loesche mills showed poor running behaviour of the mill
owing to unsatisfactory formation of the grinding bed.
The application of this knowledge led to a patented solution in
the form of a modified Loesche mill for fine grinding: LM – CS
(cement / slag). In this mill preparatory rollers (support rollers)
took over preparation of the grinding bed and the grinding
rollers (master rollers) carried out the grinding.
The complete production process for cement was optimised
in the 20th century. For a long time, how-ever, the energy-
intensive clinker grinding process was not included in these
developments. The quality requirements for the various types of
cement products also caused a delay in introducing this state
of the art technology to this sector.
With Loesche technology, success has been achieved in
producing cementitious binders that conform to the current
requirements of worldwide cement standards.
The materials for grinding listed below are used today as high
quality feed stock in Loesche CS mills. Some would previously
have been considered as waste products. They can be ground
either individually or as a mixture.
Loesche mills can be adjusted so that in a few minutes a
different product quality is achieved.

Materials for grinding, which are ground in different mixtures in Loesche-CS mills to produce binders

Appearance Grain Size/Fineness Moisture Content

Clinker Hard, abrasive < 30 mm Dry

Granulated blast furnace slag Vitreous, abrasive < 5 mm Up to 15%

Gypsum Mainly hard, REA* – < 50mm 10%

soft, sticky up to 25%

Limestone Hard < 50 mm 5% up to 10%

Puzzolan; Trass Hard or soft 10 to 50 mm Up to 25%

Flyash – moist Sticky Lumpy < 25%

Flyash – dry Powder 2.000 – 5.500 cm2/g Dry

*Gypsum from flue gas desulphurisation plants

3
Customer benefit and customer satisfaction
are our highest goals

Quality and reliability right from the start. These are charac-
teristic advantages of Loesche grinding mills that have been
acknowledged all over the world. This is based not only on the
number and size of the mills sold, but also on the large number
of repeat orders. As early as 1928, when the first Loesche mill
was put on the market, the grinding principle of the vertical
roller grinding mill, with a driven grinding track and spring-
loaded rollers was shown to be particularly energy-efficient
and reduced the use of natural resources. These benefits of
Loesche mills are becoming more and more significant today
as plant sizes increase and the efficient use of primary energy
becomes more important.
Furthermore a considerable saving in investment costs is
possible through the high production rates of Loesche mills
(up to 1100 t/h for cement raw material and 350 t/h for CS).
Loesche is a competent partner for customers – from engineer-
ing to customer service and from punctual project planning
to handing over a plant with maximum availability.
Our principle is: “Every Loesche grinding mill must be a refer-
ence mill”.

Loesche mill Type

LM 56.3+3 CS,
Settat, Morocco, 2006

4
The following features are the basis of our competence:
• Planning and construction of turn-key grinding plants for
cement clinker and granulated blast furnace slag
• Tailor-made plant concepts from design to commissioning
• Individual solutions through optimised
process technology
Loesche mill Type LM 56.3+3, under construction,
Xin Zhou Clinker, China, 2007
Loesche mill Type LM 56.3+3 CS, under construction,
Ras al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, 2007
• Component commonality solutions based mainly on
exchangeable components for the cement clinker and
cement raw material mills, and including the use of identical
gear drives
• Customer service – a guarantee of reliable plant operation.
Advice on further technical developments
• Unlimited spare parts supply (readiness to deliver)
• Certification according to EN ISO 9001: 2008
Loesche mill Type LM 46.2+2 S,
Purfleet, Great Britain, 2001
5
Working principle, construction and function
Working principle of Loesche CS mills
The material to be ground is crushed between the rotating grind-
ing track and the individually guided grinding rollers.
Grinding is carried out primarily through the application of com-
pressive force vertically, the secondary effect being the horizon-
tal shear force.
In comparison with the grinding of cement raw material, coal and
other minerals, further influencing factors have to be considered
for the fine grinding of granulated blast furnace slag and clinker.
These factors are:
• Granulated blast furnace slag – feed grain size:
0 mm – 5 mm edge length
• Cement clinker-feed grain size: 0 mm – 25 mm edge length.
Here the biggest quantitative fraction of the feed grain size
of clinker is between 50 µm and 100 µm, i.e. in the range
of the final product grain size of cement raw meal.
• Cement clinker is dry and hot, i.e. the temperature is
typically > 100°C
• The product fineness in the grain size range is
2 µm to 50 µm
The axes of the rollers, which are inclined at 15° to the grinding
bed, bring about optimum fine grinding and at the same time
result in minimum wear.
Due to the different material structure of cement clinker and
blast furnace slag compared to limestone and coal, higher
compressive grinding forces are required, with a minimum of
shear force.
Working principle of the Loesche 2+2 / 3+3 system with Master and Support roller
Material charging
S roller
Material and grinding bed movement
Precompaction,
Ventilation
6
This is achieved through the geometric design of the
rollers (small roller width) and the increased distance of the
roller from the centre of the grinding chamber.
The products to be ground differ from materials prev-iously
processed in roller grinding mills mainly because of the required
product grain size and the high material
compressive strengths.
Ultra-fine products cannot be produced in an air-swept vertical
roller grinding mill without specific measures being taken to
prevent increased mill vibration.
Due to the prevailing frictional conditions, aerated dust behaves
much like a liquid. Each roller has to prepare its own grinding
bed through de-aeration and precompaction. These processes
take place consecutively, and mill vibration is consequently
difficult to avoid.
Construction of the LM-CS mill
With the new concept of the LM-CS mill, vibration problems are
solved.
Rollers of different design are used for separate tasks in ultra-
fine grinding – i.e. preparation and grinding.
The well known basic principle of a Loesche mill, with the
modular system patented in 1970, is retained:
• Conical rollers positioned on a horizontal grinding track
• Individual guiding of each roller in a fixed rocker arm
• Support and precise guiding of the rocker arm in roller
bearings, in a stand with integrated spring system
M roller
Compaction, Expansion
Grinding
• Hydropneumatic spring tensioning of the rocker arm system.
• Parallel grinding gap between the grinding elements
• No metallic contact of the grinding elements whether the
grinding track is empty or filled, through the use of a
mechanical buffer stop.

The following features are new for clinker and granulated

blast furnace slag:

• Significantly higher specific grinding pressure

• Variable grinding pressure during grinding Master and Support roller of
Loesche 2+2 and 3+3 technology
• Magnitude of the grinding pressure depends on the
required fineness (specific surface area according to
M roller module
Blaine)
• Combination of grinding roller with support roller as M+S
system
• New mill designation, LM 56.2+2 CS or
LM 56.3+3 CS, depending on the number of roller pairs
used (C = cement, S = slag).
• Very low differential speed of grinding roller to grinding
track
• Pure rolling motion of the S roller
• Low specific wear with ultra-fine grinding. Hard facing of
grinding components within the mill is possible with mobile
welding equipment. Hard facing accomplished using the
integrated service drive on the main gearbox.

M roller and S roller in working position

S roller module

7
 • Buffer for S roller for mechanical height positioning
• Continuous discharge of iron particles in the granulated
blast furnace slag during grinding, i.e. significant increase
in service life of grinding components
• Consistent product quality during the service life of the
grinding components through mainte-nance of the parallel
grinding gap to a large extent (constant contact geometry)
• Separation of tasks: S rollers prepare the grinding bed,
M rollers carry out grinding – therefore the mill operates
with low vibration levels
• In spite of the different dimensions the M rollers and
S rollers can be swung out from the grinding chamber
using the same hydraulic auxiliary equipment for fast
and easy servicing
• The modular system of the cement and granulated blast
furnace slag mills is supplemented by the new S roller
module
• The S roller module consists of the roller, rocker arm,
hydraulic pressure system and bearings which are all
integrated into the housing cover. Owing to its simple
construction and the low forces to be transmitted, the
Outlet openings for foreign particles S roller module with its sub-assemblies is designed as
a complete functional unit.
• The main components, such as rocker arm, M rollers,
spring system, roller bearings etc. in the Loesche modular
system can be exchanged between related mill sizes for
cement raw material and cement grinding
• Identical gearboxes can be supplied for similarly sized
raw material and cement mills.

Outlet openings for foreign particles (schematically)

Welding of roller tyre in the mill Service drive

8
Loesche mill Type LM 46.2+2, Carboneras, Spain

Buffer M roller: rocker arm in working position High pressure hydraulic hoses

Bladder accumulator S roller: rocker arm in working position Hydraulic cylinder

9
 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 2 26
1 25 3 27
4 28
5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 1
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

1 2 3 14 25 36 47 58 69 7 8 9
1 2 3 4 5 6
810 911 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 7
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
10 111 212 313 414 515 616 717208182191922 23 24 25 26 27 28
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
20 1021 1122 1223 1324 14
125 15
226 16
327 17
428 18
5 19
6 7 8 9
20 21 22 23 24
10 25
11 26
12 27
13 28
14 15 16 17 18 19
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1 2 3 4 5 6
20 7 22
21 8 9
23 24 25 26 27 28
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 171 182 193 4 15 26 37 48 59 6 7 8 9
1 2 5 63 7 8 4
9 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
10 2811 12 13 10
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 14 1115 1216 1317 1418 1519 16 17 18 19
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 221 232 20
243 21
254 22
265 23
276 24
287 25 8 26 9 27 28
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
2 3 4 22
5 6 7 8 9 1 272 283
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
20 21 23 24 25 26 4 5 6 7 8 9
0 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 1810 19111012 1113 1214 13 14 15 16 17
15 16 17 18 19
18 19

0 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 2820 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

10
 Mill function
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
The feed material is discharged into the mill via an airlock 1 2 and 3 4 The 5 6 mill
7 is 8 driven
9 by an10 electric
11 12 13motor
14 15 16 17via18a 19vertical
a downpipe to the centre of the rotating grinding 10 table
1 11 2 12 3 . 134 gearbox
5 15
14 6 167 17 8 . 18
9Motors
19 with20increased
21 22 23 starting
24 25 26 torque
27 28 are not
Magnetic tramp material is diverted from the feed material necessary. A segmental thrust bearing in the top of the
10
20 11
21 12
22 13
23 24
14 15
25 16
26 17
27 18
28 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
before reaching the rotary feeder 1 and 2 3is removed
4 5 6 through
7 8 9 a gearbox absorbs the roller forces.
branched downpipe 1 2 . The
3 4material
5 610 to711 be812 ground
913 14 moves 15 16 17 on18the19
grinding track towards 10 11 the 12 13 edge 14 of 1520the
1621 grinding
1722 1823 1924table 25 26 27 28
under the Before starting the grinding process the M rollers are lifted
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
effect of centrifugal force and in this way passes under the hydraulically from the grinding track. For this, the oil pressure in
hydropneumatically spring-loaded M1 rollers 2 3 4 . 5These 6 7commi-
8 9 the hydraulic cylinders is reversed from the spring-loading side to
nute the material while the smaller110 S211rollers 312 413 514, 615 which716 817 each
918 19 the counter pressure side. In this way the mill can be started
20 11 21 12 22 13 23 1424 15 25 16 26 1727 18 28 19
operate between the M rollers, support 10 preparation of the grind- (empty or full) with a low starting torque – at about 40% of the
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
ing bed by de-aeration and precompaction. The rollers are forced operational torque. The buffer and automatic lifting of the M
upwards as they roll on the material bed. At the same time the 1 rollers 2 3 4 ensure
5 6 7that
8 no9 metallic contact between the grinding

functional unit consisting of M 1 roller

2 3 14 , 25rockerarm36 47 58 69 , 7spring 8 9 elements takes place when
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 starting the mill without material. A
20 1921 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
2 3 4 5 rod6 7 and
8 9the piston of the 1 2hydraulic
10 311 412 5cylinder
1013 11
614 12
715 8 are
1316 9 deflected.
17
14 15
18 16
19 17 18 so-called “auxiliary drive” for starting up at crawl speed is not
1 12 13 14 The
15 16 piston
17 18displaces
19 the10oil1120from 1221 13 22 14
the 20
23 1521
24 16
upper 22
25 17 23
26 18
cylinder 24
27 1925
28 26 27 28
chamber required.
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
into the gas-filled bladder 1 2 accumulator
3 4 5 6 units
7 8 9 . Nitrogen-filled

rubber bladders in the accumulator units are compressed

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 and The support 1 2 rollers
3 4 5 are
6 also
7 8 lifted
9 when starting the mill.
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
act as gas springs. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 The grinding
10 11 12 components
13 14 15 16subjected
17 18 19 to wear – roller tyres and
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
The buffer stop 10 prevents 11 12 13 contact 14 15 16of 17 the18grinding19 1
roller
2 3
with 4
the5 6
table
7 8
segments
9
– can be quickly and easily replaced. Particles
5 grinding 8 track bed. 10 11 12 13 14 15 of16 foreign matter which are particularly difficult to grind (iron
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 17 18 19
3 4 6 7 9
1 12 131 153 164 175 186 push
142 Scrapers 197 8 the 9 reject out of the ring duct 20 and 21 22 into 23 the24 25 particles
26 27 28from granulated blast furnace slag) cause local wear
1 22 23
10 11 reject-return
24 25
12 26 13 27
14 28 16 17 18 19 .
15 conveyor when they accumulate on the grinding track. In this case mobile
21 Rotation
22 23 24 of25the 26 grinding table causes the ground material from welding equipment which operates within the mill 2is available
20 27 28
1 3 4 5 6 7
the M rollers to be thrown outwards 1 2 3 over 4 5 the 6 edge 7 8 of9 the table. to hardface these parts. Rotation of the grinding 10 components
11 12 13 14 15 16

In the area of the louvre ring 10 11 , 12 which13 14surrounds

115 216 317 the 418 5grinding
19 6 7 8 during
9 welding is achieved by using a service drive 20 21 with
22 23very
24 25 26

table
1 2 3 , the
4 5upwardly
6 7 8 directed
9 20 21hot 22 gas23 24 stream
1025 1126 1227captures
1328 14 15 the 16 17 low 18 19power consumption.
mixture
10 11 12 of 13 ground
14 15 16 material
1
17 18 and
2 3
19
4 material
5 6 7 still
20 21
8 9to be ground and
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
conveys this to the classifier 10 11 12 13 .114 215 316 417 518 619 7 8 9 Loesche mills for mere granulated blast furnace slag grinding are
Depending on the 20classifier 21 22 23 settings
1024 1125 1226 1 13 27 14
2 coarse
28 15 16 material
3 4 5 17 6 18 7 19 8is 9 fitted with devices for continuous removal of iron particles. This
rejected. This falls into the internal grit 10 20 21 22return
23 24
11 12 cone2513 14 and
26 27 15 16from
28 17 18 method
19 increases the service life of the grinding components
there is returned to the grinding table 1 2 20 3 for214 22 re-grinding
5 23 6 24 7 25 8 under
269 27 28 significantly between hardfacing operations.

the rollers. Final product material 10 passes

11 12 13
1 2 the 3 classifier
14 15 16 17 and
4 5 6 7
18 19
8is 9
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
conveyed from the Loesche mill with the 10 11 gas12stream 13 14 15 . 16 17 18 19

When grinding mixed cements and 20moist 21 22granulated

23 24 25 26 blast
27 28

furnace slag, the water contained in the feed material evaporates

spontaneously through intimate contact with the hot gas stream.
The required mill outlet temperature of 80°C up to max. 130°C
is therefore already achieved in the grinding chamber.

Portland cement from pure clinker with the addition of gypsum is

ground without hot gas in the Loesche mill (except during plant
start-up). In this case the low moisture content is evaporated
through the heat of grinding.

11
Mill selection sizing – Dimensions – Models – Drives

The standard parameters for sizing Loesche CS mills are:
• grindability
• moisture and
• product fineness
These are the decisive factors.
• The specific grinding pressure is approx. 30% to 40%
higher than for cement raw material.
• The grinding principle is retained.
• The construction of the drive consisting of motor, coupling
and gearbox with integrated segmental thrust bearing is
retained.
• In specific cases when ordering a raw material mill and
cement mill at the same time an absolutely identical gear-
box for both applications can be used. This means that
not only are the physical dimensions the same but also the
installed power, the input and output speed, coupling and
the mill motor.
Sub-assemblies and structural elements from cement raw
material mills which have proved themselves in practice are
still used.
Mill types for cement and granulated blast furnace slag are
shown in the following table. In their design they follow the
M+S principle (with master and support rollers) according to the
arrangment n+n, i.e. 2+2 or 3+3, corresponding to the number
of M and S rollers.
Development of even bigger units with higher product through-
puts is conceivable. Based on the modules already used in
practice, both for the M rollers and the S rollers, solutions for
mills in the 4+4 type of construction can easily be achieved.
This would represent a logical size development from cement
raw material mills to mills for ultra-fine grinding of clinker and
granulated blast furnace slag.

LM for Cement and Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag

Product rate [tph] as function of the LM size A – H
[m] [m]

LM 75.4+4 CS 13,000 kW 15.5 29.0

LM 70.4+4 CS 9,600 kW 14.7 27.1

LM 65.4+4 CS 8,500 kW 13.8 25.3

LM 63.3+3 CS 7,100 kW 13.6 24.6

LM 59.3+3 CS 6,200 kW 12.9 23.1

LM 56.3+3 CS 5,600 kW 12.4 22.0

LM 53.3+3 CS 4,650 kW 11.9 20.8

LM 56.2+2 CS 4,300 kW 12.8 22.1

LM 48.2+2 CS 3,800 kW
Fineness
11.1 19.0
Fine Coarse
LM 46.2+2 CS 3,450 kW Cement 10.8 18.2
H [m]
LM 41.2+2 CS 2,700 kW 9.8 16.3
GGBFS – Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag
LM 35.2+2 CS 1,600 kW Difficult Easy 8.5 14.0
Grindability

LM 24.2 CS 980 kW 6.3 10.5

A [m]

LM 15.2 CS 330 kW 3.5 6.2

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 550 600
Product throughput [tph]

12
12
Prevailing conditions in process technology as well as the
market and customer requirements will be the decisive factors
in achieving this development target.
Naturally the mill drives also have to be adapted to the increase
in size of Loesche mills.
Loesche mill Type LM 56.2+2 Ras al Khaimah, VAE, 2007
Loesche mill Type LM 46.2+2 Dunkerque, France, 2005
As with Loesche mills, the modular method of construction
has been consistently used for gearboxes. This makes further
increases in mill drive capacity possible without the need to
develop a new construction concept.
Loesche mill Type LM 35.2+2, Rouen, France, 2003
Loesche mill Type LM 46.2+2, Bilbao, Spain, 2004
13
Raw materials for grinding

Loesche mill Type LM 35.2+2, Fos sur Mer, France, 1995

Cement is a construction material which on the basis of
chemical reactions hardens with water and in use retains
its hardness and durability both under atmospheric
conditions and under water.
The main component is Portland Cement clinker.
For the production of clinker natural and secondary raw materi-
als are used.
The cement industry is an energy-intensive sector, and as
such is making every effort to achieve savings in primary raw
materials and fuels.
To an increasing extent suitable secondary raw materials,
which are produced as by-products in other industrial production
processes, are used for clinker production. These include:
• lime sludge from drinking water treatment
• flyash from coal-fired power stations etc

The raw material mixture for clinker production In order to protect natural fuel and raw material resources
consists of the following: and therefore to reduce the emission of climate-influencing
• limestone carbon dioxide, secondary raw materials, secondary fuels
• lime marl and substitute materials for partial replacement of clinker in
• clay cement grinding are used.
• sand and
• iron carriers Use of these substitute materials is not only environmen-
tally friendly but also has an economic advantage since these
Raw material requirements are covered mainly by natural by-products are normally available at considerably lower prices
sources. than Portland Cement clinker.

14
14
The following table shows the most important substitute materials which are used worldwide for clinker replacement.
Latent hydraulic materials harden after fine grinding and
mixing with water with alkaline and /or sulphate initiators.
Puzzolanic materials contain only a small amount of calcium
oxide and do not harden independently. Therefore they require
a catalyst, which gives off Ca(OH)2 after mixing with water, to
bring about hardening
Inert materials (or fillers) are not involved in a hardening
reaction, or only to a small extent. They are used mainly to
supplement the grain size composition, fill the voids between
the grains, reduce the mixing water requirement and to
compact the structure.
Granulated blast furnace slag (HS, GBFS): Granulated,
glassy blast furnace slag is obtained as a by-product of
pig iron production in the blast furnace. It is formed from
secondary components of iron ore, coke ash and possibly also
additives such as limestone. The slag leaves the blast
furnace as a viscous melt at a temperature of between approx.
1350°C and 1550°C.
For use in cement very rapid cooling is required. The liquid
slag is cooled in a water bath so quickly that it solidifies to give
mainly a glassy material.
The granulated blast furnace slag consists of splintery grains
with an edge length of between approx. 0.3 and 5 mm, and
can have a moisture content of up to 30%. After preliminary
dewatering the granulated blast furnace slag is passed to the
mill with a moisture content of < 15%.
Natural Puzzolanas of the most important economical signifi-
cance are deposits of vulcanic ash. The name is derived from
the Italian town, Pozzuoli, situated at the foot of Vesuvius. Their
reactivity is based on their high glass content. The Puzzolanas
also include Trass from Rhineland.
Artificial Puzzolana: Flyash (FA, Puzzolan) is the fine com-
bustion residue from coal dust in steam boilers. The largest
Granulated blast furnace slag
Natural puzzolanas / flyash /
boiler sand / silica dust / calcined rice
Limestone
part (approx. 80%) of the combustion residues is discharged
from the combustion chamber with the flue gas and
separated by electrostatic precipitators, bag filters or cyclones.
The remaining part of these combustion residues is the
bottom ash which is produced at the base of the combustion
chamber and is removed with a scraping device. A distinction
is made between bituminous coal flyashes and lignite
flyashes. Flyashes have mainly spherical, predominantly glassy
solidified particles and are characterised by their high SiO2 and
Al2O3 contents.
Silica fume is obtained during the extraction of Silicon and
Silicon alloys in the electric arc furnace. Silica fume consists
mainly of very fine grained, amorphous silicon dioxide, SiO2.
Calcined rice husks: The husks, which are obtained in large
quantities during the preparation of rice, are burnt and used
for energy production. The ash which is produced contains
over 90% Silicon Dioxide. If the combustion temperature
does not exceed 600°C the silicon dioxide is present mainly in
the amorphous state in the form of very fine grained, irregular
particles with a high puzzolanic reactivity.
15
Calcium sulphate compounds are important as setting behaviour
regulators and are used in different forms:
• gypsum (CaSO4 . 2H2O)
• semihydrate (CaSO4 . 0.5 2H2O)
• anhydrite (CaSO4)
• or mixtures of these.
Clinker Granulated blast furnace slag
Apart from natural CaSO4 materials these compounds are also
obtained as by-products in certain industrial processes.
In order to fulfil the requirements of the building material industry
an exact knowledge of the properties of the materials which are
to be ground, individually or as mixtures, is required. There are
considerable differences in the properties of these materials,
depending on their origin and chemical composition. This is
evident during comminution from the specific energy consump- Iron ore Clay
tion and wear of the grinding components. Quantitative data on
this can be obtained with the aid of grinding tests. In designing
the mills two important test methods are used for determining
the grindability parameters.

Grinding test 1: Loesche test grinding mill in continuous opera-

tion. Determination of the Loesche grindability factor “MF”.
Grinding test 2: ZEISEL apparatus in the batch process. Limestone Natural gypsum

Determination of grindability according to ZEISEL (kWh/t).

The Loesche test is always used when sufficient quantities of
material for milling are available. The ZEISEL test has to be used
if only a small quantity of a representative sample of material
for milling, which is insufficient for grinding in the Loesche test
mill, is available.

Silica sand Flyash

Grindability according to Zeisel of clinker and granulated blast furnace slag at 3300 cm2/g.

Number of samples tested:

30
Clinker: 159
Granulated blast furnace slag: 140
25
Frequency of tested samples (%)

20
Clinker
Granulated blast
15
furnace slag

10

0
20 30 40 50 60
Specific power consumption energy requirement according to Zeisel at 3300 cm2/g [kWh/t]

16
Loesche mill Type LM 56.2+2, Alathiyur, India, 2000

17
Complete grinding plants with components
Grinding plants using Loesche mills for grinding
cement and granulated blast furnace slag are character-
ised mainly by their simple construction. The feed mate-
rial for grinding is charged onto the feeding belt, the
transporting capacity of which can be regulated with a
variable speed drive. A belt magnet and a metal detec-
tor for separating larger metallic parts are situated in
the path of the material to the mill. The material then
passes into the mill through a rotary feeder. These rotary
feeders, which act as an air seal, have been specially
developed, taking into account the abrasive properties of
clinker and granulated blast furnace slag, the tendency
to cake of most granulated blast furnace slags and synthetic
gypsum types and the high moisture contents of additive
grinding materials, such as Puzzolanas. The rotary feeders
are protected from wear and can be heated with process
gas.
The material is ground in the mill and dried if necessary.
The n+n mills have two hot gas inlets. The process gas is
distributed uniformly in the grinding chamber by means of
guide vanes. After leaving the grinding table bed the ground
material is passed to the classifier with the gas. The pow-
dered ground product leaves the mill and is separated in a
filter mounted downstream. The classifier oversize material
returns to the grinding bed together with fresh material.
As a result of the high dust collection efficiency of the filter the
mill fan which is connected downstream of the filter, does not
require any wear protection. The fan is generally fitted with a
variable speed drive.
The heat required to dry the material to be ground is controlled
through the process control system, i.e. the mill outlet temper-
ature is maintained. The required heat energy can be obtained
from various sources.
A separate hot gas generator is not necessary if sufficient hot
waste gases are available from other processes, e.g. cement
cooler exhaust gas, pre-heated waste gases from large diesel
generators etc. In grinding cement clinker with gypsum the
dry-grinding process does not require any additional heat input
at all. A large quantity of the process gas is recirculated to the
mill for utilisation of its heat content – the remaining part leaves
the plant through the stack.
18
A fresh air flap is located in the recirculation gas duct to the mill.
With increased clinker temperatures the mill can be partially
or completely operated with fresh air so that a cooling effect
is achieved. With clinker temperatures of e.g. 150°C it is
possible to adjust to a temperature of 90°C at the mill outlet
by reducing the recirculation gas and increasing the fresh air
intake.
In this way the cement temperature, and therefore also the
cement quality, can be influenced.
The material (reject) falling into the ring channel through the lou-
vre ring is automatically cleared out and conveyed into a small
hopper with a capacity of approx. 5 m3 via an encapsulated
conveyor and bucket elevator. The bunker stands on pres-
sure load cells which control the discharge conveyor in such a
way that the bunker filling level remains constant. This sytem
also intervenes in the control of the fresh material stream, so
that the flow of fresh feed material to the mill, as the sum of
fresh material and reject material, can be kept constant. When
grinding granulated blast furnace slag a magnetic drum for
separation of iron particles is built into the reject transport
system.
An important advantage of these grinding mills is that the
complete grinding process takes place in the closed system
of mill and filter and no external mechanical conveyors are
additionally required. Thus not only are maintenance costs
for conveying equipment and transfer points eliminated, but
also the dust extraction equipment associated with this.
The heavy machines which cause dynamic loads, such as the mill
and mill fan, are supported on their own foundations. Thus the
necessary steel construction is limited to support structure for the
filter and for the feed equipment. Most of the plants erected so far
have been built in an open method of construction, i.e. without a
building for the mill.
If a building is however required for the mill, expenditure
for sound insulation is small compared with a ball mill plant
thanks to the low noise level of the mill.
In addition to mills, Loesche also develops classifiers, hot gas
generators and rotary valves feeders.
 11 22 33 44 55 66 77 88 99
10 11
10 11 1212 1313 1414 15 16
15 16 17 18
17 18 19
19

1 2 3 4 206 21
5 20 217 22
228 23
239 24
24 25 26
25 26 27 28
27 28

0 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
0 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 126 227 328 4 5 6 7 8 9
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
4 5 6 7 8 9
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 1 2 3 4
2 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 10 11 12 13
2 23 24 25 26 27 28
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 20 21 22 2

2 1 3 2 4 3 5 4 6 15 7 216 18 327 29 438 3 549 4 65 5 76 6 87 7 98 8 9 9

1
10 1110121113 1214 131510 151712
141611
10 161813
101111 1217191418 14
12131315
19 16
14151517161618
171719
18181919

20 212022 21232224232520242621
252722
20 262823
202121 2227 24 28 24 26
22232325 24252527
262628
27272828

5 6 7 8 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

14 15 16 17 18 19 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 5 19 6
1 2 3 4 7 8 9
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
24 25 26 27 28 20 21 22 23 2410 2511 2612 2713 2814 15 16 17 18 19
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

1 Material feed bunker* 7 Diverter gate 15 Material feed bunker for dry 21 Recirculation gas line with
(moist material) 8 Tramp metal bin material of high fineness, damper
2 Material feed bunker* 9 Rotary valve particularly flyash* 22 Fresh air damper*
(clinker, dry material) 10 Loesche mill 16 Filter 23 Hot gas generator
3 Weigh feeder* 11 Rotary valve* 17 Rotary valve 24 Reject system
4 Transport conveyor belt 12 Sealing air line with fan* 18 Gas flow measuring device* 25 Bucket elevator
5 Over belt magnet* 13 Water sprinkling system* 19 Process gas fan 26 Diverter gate
6 Metal detector 14 Grinding aid dosing system 20 Stack with stack damper 27 Drum magnetic separator

* These items are not shown here.

19
 25

26

M
M

1 1 1 1 2 27
M

6
M M M M M
8

M
M
3 3 3 3 3 5

4 4

M M
5 M 6

4
8

20
 15

14 20
16

M 18 19

21
M M

7
M 17 M 17

M M
22
9 9
M M
11 11

10
M

13

23
12
24

1 Material feed bunker
(moist material)
2 Material feed bunker
(clinker, dry material)
3 Weigh feeder
4 Transport conveyor belt
5 Over belt magnet
6 Metal detector
7 Diverter gate 15 Material feed bunker for dry 21 Recirculation gas line with
8 Tramp metal bin material of high fineness, damper
9 Rotary valve particularly flyash 22 Fresh air damper
10 Loesche mill 16 Filter 23 Hot gas generator
11 Rotary valve 17 Rotary valve 24 Reject system
12 Sealing air line with fan 18 Gas flow measuring device 25 Bucket elevator
13 Water sprinkling system 19 Process gas fan 26 Diverter gate
14 Grinding aid dosing system 20 Stack with stack damper 27 Drum magnetic separator

21
 LOESCHE Dynamic Classifier (LDC)

Extensive calculations using Computational Fluid Dynamics

(CFD) and studies using true-to-scale models have resulted in
a further optimisation of the LOESCHE Dynamic Classifier.

The new LDC Series (Loesche Dynamic Classifier) has the

6 7 8 9 patented vortex 1rectifier
2 3 4 above
5 6 7the8 bladed
9 rotor and the
adapted
1 2 housing
3 4 5 10 6 . The
11 7 12 8 geometry
13 9 14 15 is characterised by greater
16 17 18 19
15 16 17 18 19 efficiency
10 11 12with 14 2015 21
13 lower 16 2217resistance
flow 2318 2419 25 26 27 28
and thus a reduced energy
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
25 26 27 128 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 demand. The swirl-free gas flow from 1the2 classifier 3 4 5 outlet
6 7 8 9

with optimised dust distribution gives rise to a fundamentally

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 more uniform dust distribution to the filter. 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27
Improved accessibil- 28

20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 ity in the classifier upper housing enables the wear protection

to be serviced more easily and replaced in the case of abrasive
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 products.

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 The classifier can separate particles sizes down to 1 μm and

20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 generate residues of 1% R 10 μm.
A wide range of particle size distributions can be produced
using the available process influencing parameters. The separa-
tion efficiency can be adjusted as required.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
2 3 4 1 5 6 7 8 9
4 5 6 7 10 8 11 9 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 The gas/solids flow rises from the mill in the area between the
10 11 12 13 141 152 163 174 185 196 7 classifier
8 9 outer wall and an internal static guide cone 1 2 . 3It is4 5 6 7
13 14 15 116 20217 21318 22419 235 246 257 268 279 28
then redirected into the annular gap between the static10 11 guide
12 13 14 15 16
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
2 23 24 25 10 26 1127 1228 13 10 14 11
15 12
16 13 18 15
17 14 19 16 17 18
vanes that 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
concentrically surround the rotating bladed 1rotor
2 3 . 4 5 6 7
10 11 12 13 14 15 1
20 21 22 23 20 24 21
25 22
26 23
27 24
28 25 26 27 28
20 21 22 23 24 25 2
As it rotates the rotor accelerates the supplied gas/solids mix-
Design: ture tangentially.
1 2 3 4 5 Rotor
6 7 shaft
8 9
1 Grit
2 3return
4
5 1 610 The centrifugal force generated in the process rejects oversized
2 711 3 812 4 913 5 14 6 Housing
15
7 16
8 17
9 18 19
2 Guide
1 10 11 4 vanes
3 12 13
5 1 14
610 15
7 20 16
8 21 17
9 22 1823 1915
6 24 25 26 27 19
28 particles.
2 113 12
4 135 14 7 Material
16
8 17
9 18 feed chute
20 12
21 13
22 14
3 Rotor
23 15
5 1with
2420 16
2521 17
2622 18
2723 19
2824 25 The rotor speed in conjunction with the gas flow and flow
1 10
2 11 2 classifier
4 9blades
4 610 7 11 26 18
27 19
28
3 8 12 13
5 14 6 15 7 16 8 17
Product
9 discharge
2
20 12
10 11
3
21 13
22 14
23 15
4 Vortex
5
242016
252117
610 rectifier
711 812
2622 18
2723 19
913 14
2824 25 26
15 16 17 27 19
18 28 direction allows desired particle cut sizes to be set within wide
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
11 12 13 14 1520 1621 1722 1823 1924 25 26 27 28 limits.
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

A unique feature of this classifier type is the continuous reclas-

sifying of the particle flows rejected by the rotor. When these
move outwards under centrifugal force in the annular gap they
are presented again to the gas flow and are directed upwards
and inwards.

Agglomerated particles are effectively dispersed and do not

drop as apparently oversized material with the grit return 1 2 3 4

onto the grinding table. 10 11 12 13 1

20 21 22 23

22
23
 Loesche Hot Gas Generator
Construction
The perforated jacket combustion system developed by
1 Burner
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Loesche in the mid 1960’s consists of a steel combustion
1 21 32 43 54 10 6511 7126 1387 14 9815 16 9 17 18 19
1 2 Fuel
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 chamber of heat resistant steel with burner muffle, and is well
10 10 12
11 11 13
12 14
1013 11
2015 15
21 16
1412 22 17
23
13 14 1615 1716
2418 18
17 1819 19
25 19
26 27 28
1 2 3 Combustion
4 5 6 7 air8 9 known in the market under the name LOMA Hot Gas Generator.
20 20 22
21 21 22
11 23 24
2023 24
2125 25
22 26 27
23 24 26 27
2528 26 28
27 28
9The LOMA Hot Gas Generator has been used worldwide for
22 3 3 4 4Burner 65 muffle
7 6 8 79 8
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
5
20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
1
10 11
10 121213 13
2 11
34
15 161517 16
14 14
5 Spiral
6 7 housing
8 9
18 17
19 18decades
19 in many different types of thermal processes in order
10 20
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
11 12 132214 23
15 16 172518 26
19 27 28 to optimise these processes.
1 2 3 214 5 7 24
6 Perforated
8 9 jacket
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
1
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
2 1 3 2 43 45 5 6 6 77 Annular 88 9 9 gap • The combustion chamber consists of heat resistant steels –
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
1 2 3 4 5
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
6 10 7 111 82 1239 134 5 6 157 16 8 Protective
9 casing no refractory brickwork is necessary
14 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
1 162 17 9 Temperature control
• When starting up the hot gas generator heat losses are
10 11 12 13 14 15 20 21 3 2218
4
235 196
24 7 258 26 1 227 3 284 5 6 7 8 9
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 minimised since it is not necessary to heat up refractory
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 10 Hot
11 12gas13outlet
14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 brickwork. A start at full load is therefore possible.
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
• Very good thermal shock resistance and rapid load chang-
es with only a short delay
• High cooling rate of the combustion chamber prevents
4 57 8 6
9
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 thermal overloading of following units. An EMERGENCY
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 chimney stack is not necessary in EMERGENCY-OFF
1011 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
23 24 25 26 27 28
2171 2282 2393 244 255 266 277 288 9 SITUATIONS and when starting and stopping.
3 4 5 206
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 • Accessible within a short time for inspection
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
• Low wear
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
22 23 24 25 26 27 28 • Short installation times, low weight, small space require-
ment. Can be installed in existing plants. Complete preas-
sembly is carried out – also for larger LOMA combustion
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 units.

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
LOMA Hot Gas Generator units are constantly being developed
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
and conform to current technical standards. More than 600 hot
gas generators (of this type) have been commissioned for a heat
flow of between 100 kW and 64,000 kW.

Loesche Hot Gas Generators are used where hot gases are
required for direct drying, e.g. in the cement, power station, steel,
LOMA combustion unit type
LF 25 with a natural gas burner industrial minerals, ore, wood, cattle food, agri-food and chemical
in the central grinding plant for
industries.
granulated blast furnace slag,
Dunkerque, France, 2005

Mode of operation
The process gas stream which enters the spiral 1 2housing
3 4 5 6 7 8

cools both the protective 1 2 jacket

3 4 housing
5 6 7 8 and
9 the11perforated
10 12 13 14 15 16 17 1
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27
1 2 3 jacket
4 5 6 as 7 a8 result
9 10of 11
the12flow
13 pattern.
14 15 16The
17 process
18 19 gas enters
10 11 12 the 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
13 14interior of the combustion chamber through the annular
15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
1 2 3 4 5 gap6 7 and
8 9 holes in the perforated jacket, and mixes there with
10 11 12 13 14the 15 hot
16 flue
17 18 gases
19 from combustion. At the same time the flame
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
and hot flue gases are kept away from the perforated jacket.

Heating media
• Natural gas, bio gas, coke gas, blast furnace gas and other
low calorific value gases
• Light and heavy oils, wood and lignite dust

24
Loesche rotary vane feeder

Feeding of Loesche CS mills is carried out via a rotary vane

feeder in order to prevent false air ingress into the mill interior.

Material is fed continuously from above via the inlet hopper

into every vane pocket of the slowly rotating vane feeder.
In order to reduce wear from the abrasive feed stock the
peripheral speed is low and the filling level limited to 40%.
Adjustable sealing strips on the rotor prevent any large gaps
between the wearing plate of the housing and the rotor. The
material is discharged downwards into the feed chute of the
mill.

Hot gas can be passed through the inside of the rotary feeder to
prevent material caking. It is easy to dismantle for maintenance
purposes.

25
The Loesche test facility for raw materials testing,
Research and Development

Calibrated standard grinding tests for mill sizing
Loesche has many years of experience in designing grinding
mills. The most important prerequisite for correctly designed
grinding mills is an exact knowledge of the physical properties of
the materials to be ground.
The most important characteristic values of a material to be
ground are the Loesche grindability factor and the specific
power demand in relation to a defined fineness. Depending on
the geological formation of the material to be ground, materials
with highly different properties are found in nature, even with
materials which appear visually to be similar.
Three well equipped laboratory LM 3.6 grinding mills are avai-
lable in the Loesche test plant for performing standard grinding
tests.
Technological development through practical laboratory
grinding tests
One of the first steps in introducing new technologies is the
practical laboratory test.
Within the framework of our research and development projects
the following actions are carried out:
• New materials for grinding of future market requirements
are examined
• Optimised mill settings for special products are determined
• Plant components and process configurations are opti-
mised
• New wear materials and concepts are tested
Our test plant is constructed in such a way that various modes
of operation and plant process configurations can be simulated
in the tests.

Fully-automatic operation with PLC LM 3.6 laboratory mill

Analysis possibilities
• Pure density determination with gas pycnometer
• Determination of mass-related surface according to Blaine
• Grain size analysis with Cilas laser granulometer
• Sieve analyses with Alpine air-jet screening method
• Sieve analyses with Retsch vibrating sieves
• Grindability according to Hardgrove
• Grindability according to Zeisel
• Microscopy with Zeiss Stemi SV11
• Drying ovens for moisture determination
• Coal testing (Cfix, volatile matter, ash content)

26
Loesche – worldwide presence

Loesche is an export-oriented company run by the owner, which was established in 1906 in Berlin.
Today the company is internationally active with subsidiaries, representatives and agencies world-
wide.

Our engineers are constantly developing new ideas and individual concepts for grinding
technologies and preparation processes for the benefit of our customers. Their competence is
mainly due to our worldwide information management.

This ensures that current knowledge and developments can also be used immediately for our own
projects.

The services of our subsidiaries and agencies are of key importance for analysis, processing and
solving specific project problems for our customers.

Please visit our homepage at www.loesche.com

for up-to-date information on our overseas companies.

27
27