Fineness of Cement

Fineness of cement is property of cement that indicate particle size of cement and specific surface area and indirectly effect heat of hydration.

Why it is so important?

Finer cement provides a greater surface area for hydration hence faster development of strength occurs so it has a more relevance with the rate of hydration and rate of gain of strength.

Methods to obtain Fineness of Cement

• Sieve Method
• Air Permeability Method (Blaine Method)

Sieve Method

• Apparatus required for this method is Sieve lead, Sieve with Pan, Weighing balance and Sieve shaking machine.
• Collect a sample of cement and rub with your hands. The Fineness test sample should be free of lumps.
•  Take 100 gm of cement sample and note its weight as W1.
•  Drop 100 gm of cement in 90 µm sieve and close it with the lid.
•  Now, shake the sieve with your hands by agitating the sieve in planetary and linear movements for 15 minutes.
• After that take weight the retained cement on the 90 µm sieve as W2.
• Fineness = (W2/W1) * 100

Blaine Air permeability Method

• Apparatus required for this method is Blaine air permeability apparatus, Balance and Timer.
• Put a filter paper into the cell then weight 2.84g of cement sample into it.
• Put another filter paper on it and compress with the plunger.
• Attach the cell on top of the U-tube manometer.
• Evacuate the air in the manometer through the side tube using the aspirator bulb until the oil reaches level 1.
• Close the side valve and monitor the oil as it start to fall.
• Using a stop watch, measure the time taken for the oil to fall from level 2 to level 3.
• Blaine =k√t
• where k is 523.0547

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