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THESIS

A COMPARITWE ANALYSIS
or MICHIGAN CEMENTS

7 ' Donald C. Godfrey & M. Frank Bornor
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A CUJPARIQIVJ ANALYSIS
OF

MICEchH chgmrs

A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty
of

Michigan Agricultural College

by
'\ ‘_—- \1 fl
-\ ‘

fl

(1'

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Donald C! Godfrey and M. Frank Bornor

Candidates for Degree
of

Bachelor of Science

June, 1964.

JHESIF

The authors of this book are
very thankful to Professor Voddor,
instructor, counsellor, and friend
for his advice and help in the
preparation of this volume. We are
also very grateful to Professor
Allen for his helpful Suggestions,
advice, and information concerning
tests. Professor Allen has vary
kindly agreed to chrry on tests for
tensile strength for the poriods
which we are unable to complote.

The Authors.

HIsTUhY.

A curious, groat bridge which has come down from tho
days of the ancients stands in the south If Franco, not far
from the old city of Nimos. It is called the Pont du Gard
and it is still referred to by the natives of tho region as
one of tho sovon wonders of thw world. It spans tho doop
valley of the Gard and it is builded in three tiers of stone
arches. There are six arches of tho lowost tier. ranging
frma sixty to soventy~fivo feet in width, eleven seventy-
fivo foot arches in tho cocond tier, and thirty-five smaller
ones in the third, carrying tho sc-callod "spoons", or water
trough, through which tho Romans twenty centuries ago were
wont to supply tho fountains of their beloved Henaunua, about
a dozen miles distant. It is this trough that tho Emperor
Augustus once lined with cement.

Today, after twenty conturios, that lining remains one
of tho hardest substances in the world. The many yoars that
it actually carried water only added to tho encasing. The
secretions of line from tho water itself gradually narrowed
tho spoons until today, many centuries after tho Pont do Gard
was abandoned as an aqueduct, one finds that in places it is
hard to valk through the narrowed space.

In the latter days of the umpire, the Romans grew
extremely expert in the use of a form of concrete. They awoke
gradually to the tenacious powers of lime rock, and before
the great fabric of their high civilization crumbled, they
were working quite extensively in a fabric that would outlivo
many civilizations-in a plastic stone that would not and could

not crumble. The traces of their work in natural cement are

still existent everywhere within the lands that they once

occupied. Their day was the early dawn of the Concroto Ago,

For nineteen centuries the Concrete Age, although born,
lingered in a dreary immaturity. For it was not until about
one hundrod years ago that an Englishman - Joseph depdin of
Leeds - invented Portland Cement, so naming it from a widely
used building stone from the Isle of Portland, to which his
invention, once thoroughly set, bore a close resemblance in
color.

Aspdin's method was through application to the cement
raw materials of an intense heat. It had been of course, the
traditional custom to burn the lime rock, to complete through
fire the transformance of its carbonate of lime to an oxide
of lime. But the kilns were crude and the process simple.
moreover, no matter how carefully one ground the rock before
pouring it into the kilns, there was bound to result great
quantities of hard slag, or "clinker", as it became known to
the lime burners. This was sifted out from the finished
product and thrown away. hut its very presence was a constant
annoyance.

Into nepdin's mind there flashed the thought one day, a
century ago, that perhaps the despised clinker might possibly
contain certain cement qualitios of real value. He began
unperimenting with it, pulverizing it into the finest sort of
powder, and mixing it with water and a variety of aggregates
of sand and stone. It responded to the tests. It made an
artificial rock, of an appearance and a quality far superior
from that obtained through the natural cement, with the
clinker carefully eliminated.

Aspdin went further. Ho experimented with heats much

in excess of those previously in use in limo-kiln practice upon

lime rook, until the product of the kiln was entirely clinker,
which was just the thing he really desired.

Aspdin's chief contribution was not in tle advanced use
which he made of the clinker, but rather that he was the
first one to realize the importance of the preper mixture of
the materials ~-he made a science of the entire business.

But elen.with his work done, portland cement did not
come into its own quickly. For while it was used in many
parts of england and France as long ago as the 'fifties', it
was not until 1870 that long eXpernnents were made to produce
portland cement in the United States.

Yet, once invented, pcrtland cement moved but slowly
toward the fulness of its possibilities. The process for
its production was so intricate, the mechanisms for carrying
out the process so much more complicated than those recuired
for the production of natural cement or for slacking lime that
men passed it by. Then, about a quarter of a century ago,
some things began to happen. First and foremost important of
all, prices of material things in the United States began to
go up, as well as labor. This was especially true in the case
of building materials, all Save cement, in which there was
a decided lowering of price, due in a large measure to the
introduction of the rotary kiln. To an appreciable extent
the Concrete Age has come into its own through dire labor
necessities. The fact that in this day and age we of the
United States are long in electricirns and patsge helpers and
very short in good masons - either brick or stone - has been
a powerful factor in its recent great growth.

In 1896 the annual production of portland cement in this

country first reached the then tremendous figure of a million
barrels. Yet this was but a beginning. Four years later -
at the beginning of the present century - it had come to
8,482,000 barrels in a single twelvemonth. These were still
mere beginnings. In 1920 more than 100,000,000 barrels of
portland cement were manufactured in the united States. In
1922 the production was nearly 116,000,000 barrels. The
Concrete Age has truly arrived.

The above is an extract from "Observations on an

Outstanding American Industry" by Edward Hungerford.

The History of the Cement Industry in Michigan.
fihe first attenpt to manufacture portland cement in the
united States was made in Michigan in.1872, when an experio
mental vertical kiln plant was constructed in Kalamazoo,
using marl and clay in the process. The venture was a failure
and exercised little or no influence in the New York and
Pennclyvania developments beginning in 1875.

After the failure of the Kalamazoo venture, no second
attempt was made to re-establish the industry in Michigan until
1896 in which year the Peerless Portland Cement Cc. erected
a vertical kiln plant at Union City, Branch county, and began
the successful manufacture of portland cement from.narl and
shale.

In 1897 the Bronson Portland ceaent co. erected a plant
aat Bronson, Branch county, and in 1898 the Goldwater Decent
Company, now the Wolverine Portland Cenent 00., built plants
at Goldwater and Quincy.

third
In 1900 Michigan with six plants attained fix n place

in the production of cement in the United states.

since 1896, thirty-six different cement plants have
been projected or built in Michigan and eleven are in
operation today. 0f the elwven plants, five are reported
to be using marl and clay, five using lime stone and clay
or shale, and one using clay and the waste from the plant
of the Hichigan Alkali Co. All plants use scal as fuel,
nine manufacture cement by the "wet process” and two by
the dry process.

The Petoskey plant which was erected on the limestone
deposits on Little Traverse Bay is pronounced ”the best
and most efficient wet process plant".-Geologioa1 Report
for Jichigan prior to 1921.

The boom years of the cement industry in uiohigan
were between 1899 and 1901, the production growing from
less than $50,000 barrels in 1899 to more than 1,000,000
barrels in 1901. By 1920 the production had increased to
more than 4,000,000 barrels per year.

In 1920 Michigan stood seventh in the production and

shipment of cement.

OBJECT.

This thesis was taken up by the authors with two objects
in View:

First, to determine if all the brands of Portland
Cement manufactured in Michigan are made to conform.to the
standard specifications of the American Society fer Testing
Materials.

Second, to determine if possible from results obtained
if there is any marked preference between the different
brands of cement as to their quility and fitness, and if so

in our opinion, which brand this is.

In order to insure that a fair sample of each brand
would be secured, three sacks of each were obtained,

Atlas and Universal brands of cement were used as a
controls because of their long standing as being among the

best portland cements manufactured in this country.

DEFIHITION.

Portland cement is the product obtained by finely pul-
verizing clinker produced by calcining to incipient fusion an
intimate and properly proportioned mixture of argillaceous
and calcareous materials, with no additions subsequent to cal-

cination excepting water and calcined or uncalcined gypsum.

SPECIFICATIONS.

The specifications used are those oifthe American
Society for Testing Materials and are of two distinct parts,
Chemical and Physical.

Chemical Properties.
Loss on ignition. Per cent eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee 4000
InBOInblo residue, per Cent........................ 0.85
Sulphuric unh dridc (303) per cent................. 2e00
Mfl8n881l (M80 9 Per con¥ceeeeeceececeeeeeeOeceeeece 5000

These limits are not to be exceeded.

Physical Properties.

The specific gravity of cement shall be not less than
3.10 (3.07 for white Portland cement). Should the test of
cement as received fall below this requirement a second test
say be made upon an ignited sample. The specific gravity
test will not be made unless specifically ordered.

The residue on a standard No. 200 sieve shall not
exceed 22 per cent by weight.

A pat of neat cement shall remain firm and hard, and
show no signs of distortion, cracking, checking, or disintegra-
tion in the steam test fer soundness.

The cement shall not deveIOp initial set in less than
46 minutes when the Vical needle is used or 60 minutes when
the Gillmoro needle is used. Final set shall be attained
within 10 hours.

The average tensile strength in pounds per square inch
of not less than three standard mmrtar briquettes composed of
one part cement and three parts standard send, by weight,

shall be equal to or higher than the follmring:

Age at Test Tensile Strength

 

Days Storase of'Briquettes lb. per 81. in.
7 1 day in moist air, 6 days in water 200
28 1 day in moist air, 27 days in water 500

The average tensile strength of standard mortar at 28

days shall be higher than the strength at 7 days.

SAIPLING.

Tests may be made on individual or composite sanples
as may be ordered. Each test sample should weigh at least
8 pounds. I

The samples ior tests made in this thesis were made
by taking a 3000p full from each sack and thoroughly mixing.
The sample used in the test was then taken from this mixture.
The average weight of cement taken from each sack was about

6 pounds making the total sample about 15 pounds.

CHEJICAL ANALYSIS.
Loss on Ignition.

Method.
One gram of cenent shall be heated in a weighed covered

platinum crucible, of 20 to 25 cc. capacity, as follows:

The crucible shall be placed in a hole in an asbestos
hoard, clamped horizontally so that about three-fifths of the
crucible projects below, and blasted at a full red heat for 15
minutes with an inclined flame; the loss in weight shall be
checked by a second blasting for 5 minutes. Care shall be
taken to wipe off particles of asbestos that may adhere to the

crucible when withdrawn irom the hole in the board. Greater

neatnees and shortening of the time of heating are secured by
making a hole to fit the crucible in a circular disk of sheet
platinum and placing the disk over a somewhat larger hole

in an asbestos board.

A permissable variation of 0.25 will be allowed, and
all results in excess of the specified limit but within this
pernissable variation shall be reported as 4 per cent.

Remarks: In making this test in this thesis we were
unable to get the platinum crucibles and fused silica
crucibles of the specified size were used in their place.

In heating the cement we made one blast of one-half hour
rather than the two heats of 15 minutes and 5 minutes as
specified. From our conversations with Chief Chemists at
some of the plants in lichigan we found that this is the

method that is used altogether in commercial testing.

Insoluble Residue.

met-1106. e
To a 1 gram sample of cement shall be added 10 cc. of

water and 5 cc. of concentrated hydrochloric acid; the liquid
shall be warned until effervescence ceases. The solution
shall be diluted to 50 cc. and digested on a steam bath or
hot plate until it is evident that decomposition of the
cement is complete. The residue shall be filtered, washed
with cold water, and the filter paper and contents digested
in about 30 cc. of a 5 percent solution of sodium carbonate,
the liquid being held at a temperature Just short of boiling

for 15 minutes. The remaining residue shall be filtered,

washed with cold water, then.with a few drops of hot hydro-
chloric acid, 1:9, and finally with hot water, and then
ignited at a red heat and weighed as the insoluble residue.
A permisaable variation of 0.15 will be allowed, and
all results in excess of the specified limit but within this
permissable variation shall be reported as 0.85 per cent.
Remarks: This test is very seldom made except on the
re~chcck of cement which has been.reJected. Statement made
by Chief Chemist of a large cement company which has plants

in several states, to the authors of this thesis.

Sulphuric Anhydride.

Method.
One gram of the cement shall be dissolved in 5 cc. of

concentrated hydrochloric acid diluted wit; 5 cc. of water,
with gentle warming; when solution is complete 40 cc. of
water shall be added, the solution filtered, and the residue
washed thoroughly with water. The solution shall be diluted
to 250 cc.. heated to boiling and 10 cc. of a hot 10 per cent
solution of barium.chloride shall be added slowly, drop by
drop, from a pipette and the boiling continued until the pre-
cipitate is well formed. The solution shall be digested on
the steam.bath until the precipitate has settled. The precip~
itate shall be filtered, washed, and the paper and contents
placed in a weighed platinum crucible and the paper slowly
charred and consumed without flaming. The barium sulphate
shall then be ignited and weighed. The weight obtained

multiplied by 34.3 gives the percentage of sulphuric anhydride.

The acid filtrate obtained in the determination of the
insoluble residue may be used for the estimation of
sulfuric anhydride instead of using a separate sample.
A permissable variation of 0.10 will be allowed,
and all results in excess ef the specified limit but
within.this permissable variation shall be reported as
2.00 per cent.
Remarks: In making this test the authors used 10 cc. of
concentrated hydrochloric acid and 10 cc. of water te
dissolve the cement in instead of 6 cc. of each as
specified. The authors spent one day in working and
studying methods used in chemical analysis in a cement
plant and we found that they used the amounts stated.
The extra amounts used would of course have no effect on
the amounts of constituents found, being used only to

dissolve the cement.

Magnesia.

Method:
To 0.6 gram of the cement in an evaporating dish

shall be added 10 cc. of water tp prevent lumping and then
10 cc. of concentrated hydrochloric acid. The liquid shall
then then be gently heated and agitated until attack is
complete. The solution shall be evaporated to complete
dryness on a steam ornater bath. Tc hasten dehydration
the residue may be heated to 106 or even 200° 0. for one
half to one hour. The residue shall be treated with lOcc.
of concentrated hydrochloric acid diluted with an equal

amount of water. The dish shall be covered and the

solution digested for ten minutes on a steam bath or water
bath. The diluted solution slall be filtered and the sep-
arated silica washed thoroughly with water. rive cubic
centimeters of concentrated hydrochloric acid and sufficient
bromine water to precipitate any manganese which may be
present, shall be added to the filtrate (about 250cc).

This shall be made alkaline with ammonium hydroxide, boiled
until there is but a faint odor of ammonia, and the pre-
cipitated iron and aluminum hydroxides. after settling,
shall be washed with hot water, once by decantaticn and
slightly on the filter. Setting aside the filtrate, the
precipitate shall be transferred by a Jet of’hot water to
the precipitating vessel and dissolved in 10 cc. of hot.
hydrochloric acid. The paper shall be extracted with acid,
the solution and washings being added to the main solution.
The aluminum and iron shall then be reprecipitated at
boiling heat by ammonium hydroxide and bromine water in a
volume of about 100 cc., and the second precipitate shall
be collected and washed on the filter used in the first
instance if this is still intact. To the combined filtrates
from the hydroxides of iron and aluminum, reduced in volume
if need be, 1 cc. of almonium hydroxide shall be added, the
solution brought to boiling, 25 cc. of a saturated solution
of boiling ammonium oxalate added, and the boiling continued
until the Precipitated calcium oxalate has assumed a well
defined granular form. The precipitate after one hour

shall be filtered and washed, then with the filter shall be

placed wet in a platinum crucible, and the paper burned

off over a small flame of a Bunsen burner; after ignition
it shall be redissolved in hydrochloric acid and the
solution diluted to 100 cc. Ammonia shall be added in
slight excess, and the liquid boiled. The line shall then
be repricipitated by ammonium oxalate, allowed to stand
until settled, filtered and washed. The combined filtrates
from the calcium precipitates shall be acidified with
hydrochloric acid, concentrated on the steam bath to about
150 co., and made slightly alkaline with ammonium hydroxide,
boiled and filtered (to remove a little aluminum and iron
and perhaps calcium). When cool, 10 cc. of saturated solu-
tion of sodium-ammonium-hydrogen phosphate shall be added
with constant stirring. When the crystallin ammonium-
magnesium orthOphosphate has formed, ammonia shall be added
in moderate excess. The solution hhall be set aside for
several hours in a coil plate, filtered and washed with
water containing 2.5 per cent of Bug. The precipitate
shall be dissolved in a small quantity of hot hydrochloric
acid, the solution diluted to about 100 co., 1 cc. if a
saturated solution of sodium-ammonium- hydrogen phosphate
added, and ammonia drop by drop, with constant stirring,
until the precipitate is again formed as described and the
ammonia is in moderate excess. The precipitate shall then
'be allowed to stand about two hours, filtered and washed
as before. The paper and contents shall be placed in a

weighed platinum crucible, the paper slowly charred, and

the resulting carbon carefully burned off. The precipi-
tate shall then be ignited to constant weight over a
Hekerr burner, or a blast not strong enough to soften or
melt the perphosphate. The weight cf’magnesium pyro-
phosphate cabtined multiplied by 72.5 gives the percentage
of magnesia. The precipitate so obtained always contains
some calcium and usually small quantities of iron, alum-
inum, and manganese as phosphates.~

A permissable variation of 0.4 will be allowed, and
all results in excess of the specified limit but within
this permissable variation shall be reported as 5.00 per
cent.
Remarks: In our tests for'magnesia we did not perform the
second precipitation and filtration as is called for in
some places in this test. We followed more closely the
method used in commercial practice which is the same in
all ways except the second precipitation. In "Portland
Cement" by Head, in chapter on "Tests" the method is
also given which does not call for the second precipi-
tation but which is the same in all other respects. The
time required for a magnesia test previous to the cooling
of the solution is somewhat over four hours, therefore

‘we believe our course in ommtting the parts mentioned is

Justifigd” inasmuch as we only had four hours in a

continuous period in which to perform this test.

TABLL'J OF RESULTS OF CHMICAL TESTS.

 

dices on *Thscluhle
Brand Ignition Residue

Sulphuric magnesia
Anhydride (ago)

 

Atlas 2.41 .66 1.72 3.67
Alpha .90 .70 1.18 1.66
Huron 1.41 .84 1.85 3.28
New Astna 1.00 .85 2.00 2.34
Newaygc .85 .64 1.80 3.84
New
Egyptian 1.40 .85 1.08 3.26

Peerless .73 .72 1.71 3.44
Petoskey 1.48 .76 1.92 03.91
Peninsular .86 .85 1.74 3.93
Michigan 2.10 .76 1.95 3.76
hyandotte 1.25 .85 1.86 2.72
Wolverine 1.16 .74 1.36 3.97
Universal 1.71 .73 1.40 4.02

 

As the above table shows, all of the Michigan cements
come well under the specifications required by the American
Society for Testing Materials, as to chemical analysis.

The results given should not be considered as being
absolute, but they may be considered as being comparitive
as all tests were run under the same conditions and with
the same degree of accurateness throughout the entire tests.
In the tests all computations were carried to the fourth
place except in final result which was reduced to two

decimal places as shown.

PHYSICAL ANALYSIS
Determination of Specific Gravity.

Apparatus: The determination of specific gravity shall be
made with a standardised Le Chatelier apparatus. This
apparatus is standardized by the united States Bureau of
Standards. [Kerosene free from water, or beneine not
lighter than 62° Baume'. shall be used in making this
determination.
.Method: The flask Ihall be filled with either of these
liquids to a point on the stem between zero and one cubic
centimeter, and 6e g. of cement, of the same temperature
as the liquid, shall be slowly introduced, taking care
that the cement does not adhere to the inside of the flask
above the liquid and to free the cement from air by rolling
the flask in an inclined position. After all the cement
is introduced, the level of the liquid will rise to some
division of the graduated neck; the difference between
readings is the volume displaced by 64 g. of the cement.

The specific gravity shall then be obtained from the
formula

‘ :: Heisbi-ef-csccnt. .a 1-..
Sp.°111° gravity Diaplaced volwme cot)

The flask, during the Operation, shall be kept
immersed in water, in order to avoid variations in the temp-
erature of the liquid in the flask, which shall not exceed
0.50 0. The result of repeated tests should agree within 0.01
The determination of specific gravity shall be made

on the cement as received; if it falls below 3.10, a second

determination shall be made after igniting the sample as
in the test for Loss on Ignition.
Remarks: In making this test the authors used kerosene free
from water for the liquid. The kerosene was placed in the
flasks and allowed to stand in water for one day before it
was used.

The few samples of cement which did not at first pass
this test went well under the test after the sample had been
ignited.

Determination of Fineness.

Wire cloth for standard sieves for cement shall be
woven (not twilled) from brass, bronze, or other suitable
wire, and mounted without distortion on frames not less than
1% in. below the top of the frame. The sieve frames shall
be circular, approximately 8 in. in diameter, and may be
provided with a pan and cover.

A standard No. 200 sieve is one having nominally an
0.0029 in. Opening and 200 wires per inch standardized by
the U. 8. Bureau of Standards, and conforming to the follow-
ing requirements:

The No. 200 eieee should have 200 wires per inch, and
the number of wires in any whole inch shall not be outside
the limits of 192 to 208. Ho Opening between adjacent
parallel wires shall be more than 0.0050 in. in width. The
diameter of the wire should be 0.0021 in. and the average
diameter shall not be outside the limits 0.0019 to 0.0023 in.
The value of the sieve as determined by seiving tests made

in conformity with the standard specifications for these

tests on a standardized cement which gives a residue of

25 to 20 per cent on the ha. 200 seive, or on other similarly
graded material, shall not show a variation of’more than

1.5 per cent above or below the standards maintained at the
Bureau of standards.

.Hethod: The test shall be made with 50 g. of cement. The
seive shall be thoroughly clean and dry. The cement shall
be placed on the No. 200 seive, with pan and cover attached,
if desired, and shall be held in a slightly inclined posi-
tion so that the sample will be well distributed over the
seive, at the same time gently striking the side about 150
times per minute against the palm of the other hand on the
up stroke. The seive shall be turned every 25 strokes about
one-sixth of a revolution in the same direction. The Opera-
tion shall continue until not more than 0.05 3. passes thru
in one minute of continuous seiving. The fineness shall be
determined from the weight of the residue on the seive
expressed as a percentage of the weight of the original
sample.

Mechanical seiving devices may be used, but the
cement shall not be rejected if it meets the fineness
requirements when tested by the hand method Just described.
hemarks: In making this test the authors used the hand

method described in all cases.

Mixing Cement Pastes and Hortars.
The quantity of dry material to be mixed at one time
shall not exceed 1000 3. nor be less than 600 g. The

preportions of cement or cement and sand shall be stated by
weight in grams of the dry materials; the quantity of
water shall be expressed in cubic centimeters. The dry
materials shall be weighed, placed upon a non-absorbent
surface, thoroughly mixed dry if sand is used, and a crater
formed in the center, into which the proper percentage of
clean water shall be poured; the material on the outer edge
shall be turned into the crater by the aid of s trowel.
After an interval of 5 minute for the absorption of the water
the Operation shall be completed by continuous, vigorous
mixing, squeezing and kneading with the hands for at least
one minute. During the Operation of mixing, the hands
should be covered by rubber gloves.

The temperature of the room and the mixing water
shall be maintained as nearly as practicable at 21° 0 (70° F).
Remarks: In mixing the mortar used in these tests the
temperature of the water was kept as nearly as possible
at 21° 0. but the temperature of the room could not be

controlled and there was much variation.

Normal Consistency.
Apparatus: The Vicat apparatus consists of a frame bearing
a movable rod, weighing 300 g., one end being 1 cm. in
diameter for a distance of 6 om., the other having a
removable needle, 1 mm. in diameter, 6 cm. long. The rod
is reversible, and can be held in any desired position by
a screw, and has midway between the ends a mark ahich.moves

under a scale attached to the frame. The paste is held in

a conical, hard-rubber ring, 7 cm. in diameter at the base,
4 cm. high, resting on a glass plate about 10 cm. square.

In making the determination, 500 g. of cement, with
a measured quantity of water, shall be kneaded into a paste,
as described previous to this, and quickly formed into a
ball with the hands, completing the operation by tossing it
six times from one hand to the other, maintained about 6 in.
apart; the ball resting in the palm of one hand shall be
pressed into the larger and of the rubber ring held in the
other hand, completely filling the ring with paste; the
excess at the larger end shall then be removed by a single
movement of the palm of the hand; the ring shall then.be
placed on its larger and on a glass plate and the excess
paste at the smaller and sliced off at the tsp of the ring
by a single oblique stroke of a trowel held at a slight angle
with the top of the ring. During these operations care shall
be taken not to compress the paste. The paste confined in
the ring, resting on the plate, shall be placed under the
larger and of the rod, the end of the rod brought in contact
with the paste; the scale shall then be read and the rod
quickly released. The posts shall be of normal consistency
when the sod settles to a point 10 mm. below the original
surface in % minute after being released. The apparatus
shall be free from vibrations during the test. Trial pastes
shall be made with varying percentages of water until the
normal consistency is obtained. The amount of water required
shall be expressed in percentage by weight of the dry cement.

The consistency of standard mortar shall depend on

the amount of water required to produce a paste of normal
consistency from the same sample of cement. Having deter-
mined the normal consistency of the sample, the consistency
of standard mortar‘made from the same sample shall be as
indicated in the following table, the values being in per-
centage of the combined dry weights of the cement and
standard sand.

PERCENTAGE OF MATER FOR STANDARD HORTARS.

 

§ercentage of’hater Percentage ofrhater

 

for Heat Cement for One Cement,
Paste of Normal Three Standard Ottaaa
Consistency ,, Sand.

hp '
15 9.0 :: 23 10.3
16 9.2 SE 24 10.5
17 ' 9.5 E; 25 10.7
13 9.5 22 25 10.8
19 _ 9.? £2 27 11.0
20 9.8 E; 28 11.2
21 10.0 E? 29 11.3
22 10.2 E2 30 11.5

 

The Vicat apparatus seems to be used very little in
cement plant labratories. The men who do the testing every
day prefer the ball method for testing for normal consist-
ency . It is clained by them that their results are more
accurate than with the Vicat apparatus. It is interesting
to note that our results for normal consistency were higher
in nearly every case than the normal consistency used for

testing at the plants with which we came in contact.

16

Determination of Soundness.

A steam apparatus, which can be maintained at a
temperature between 98 and 1000 C. is recommended. The
capacity of this apparatus may be increased by using a
rack for holding the pets in a vertical or inclined position.

A pat of cement paste of normal consistency about
3 in. in diameter, % in. thick at the center, and tapering
to a thin edge, shall be made on clean glass plates about
4 in. square, and stored in moist air for 24 hours. he
molding the pat, the cement paste shall first be flattened
on the glass and the pat then formed by drawing the trowel
from the outer edge toward the center.

The pat shall then be placed in an atmosphere of
steam at a temperrture between 98 and 100° 6. upon a suit-
able support 1 in. above boiling water for 5 hours.

hhould the pat leave the plate, distortion may be
detected best with a straight edge applied to the surface

which was in contact with the plate.

Determination of Time of Setting.

The Gillmore needles were used in making this test.
.Method: The time of setting shall be determined as follows:
A pet of neat cement paste about 3 in. in diameter and % in.
in thickness with a flat tap, mixed to a normal consistency,
shall be kept in moist air at a temperature maintained as
nearly as practicable at 21° C. The cenent shall be
considered to have acquired its iritial set when the pet will

bear, without appreciable indentation, the Gillmore needle

1/12 in. in diameter, loaded to weigh a; pound. The final
set has been acquired when the pat will bear without app-
reciable indentation, the Gillmore needle 1/24 in. in
diameter, loaded to weigh 1 pound. In making the test,
the needles shall be held in a vertical position and applied
lightly to the surface of the pat.

The initial set should not be acquired in less than
60 minutes with the Gillmore needle, and the final set

should be acquired within 10 hours.

Tension Tests.
In making briquettes for tension tests the gang
molds were used. Molds were cleaned before use and oiled

enough to prevent cement from sticking to the sides.

The molds shall be made of nonpcorroding metal and
have sufficient material in the sides to prevent spreading
during molding.

The sand to be used shall be natural sand from Ottewe
111,, screened to pass a No. 20 sieve and retained on a No.
30 sieve.

This sand, having passed the No. 20 sieve. shall be
considered standard when not more than 6 3. pass the No. 30
sieve after one minute or continuous sieving of s 500 3.
sample.

The 81.703 shall conform to the following specifica-
tions: The No. 20 sieve shall have between 19.5 and 20.5

wires per whole inch of the warp wires and between 19 and 21

18

wires per shole inch of the shoot wires. The diameter or
the wire should be 0.0165 in. and the average diameter shall
not be outside the limits of 0.0160 and 0.0170 in.

The No. 50 sieve shall have between 29.5 and 30.5
wires per whole inch of the warp wires and between 28.5 and
31.5 wires per whole inch of the shoot wires. The diameter
of the wire should be 0.0110 in. and the average diameter
shall not be outside the limits 0.0105 to 0.0115 in.

Immediately after mixing, the standard mortar shall
be placed in the molds, pressed in firmly with the thumbs
and smoothed off with e trowel without reaming. Additional
mortar shall be heaped above the mold and smoothed of! with
e trowel; the trowel shall be drawn over the mold in such
a manner as to exert a moderate pressure on the materiel.
The mold shall then be turned over and the Operation of
beeping, thumbing and smoothing of! repeated.

Tests shall be made with any standard machine. The
briquettes shall be tested as soon as they are removed from
the water. The bearing surfaces of the clips and briquettes
shall be free from grains of sand or dirt. The briquettes
shall be carefully centered and the lead applied continuously
at the rate of 600 lb. per minute.

Testing machines should be frequently calibrated in
order to determine their accuracy.

Briquettes that are manifestly faulty, or which give
strengths differing more than 15 per cent from the average
value of all test pieces made from the same sample and
‘broken at the same period,-shall not be considered in deter-

ruining the tensile strength.

Remarks: As the tensile strength is watched very closely
by persons buying cement and as this is one of the most
important tests we were very careful to see that all clips
and briquettes were perfectly clean and that rells were
oiled. In no cases did the briquettes break in such a way

as to appear due to dirt or grit on the machine or hrieuette.

Storage of Test Pieces.

The moist closet may consist of a soapstone, slate or
concrete box, or a wooden box lined with metal. I! a wooden
box is used, the interior should be covered with felt or
broad wicking kept wet. The bottom of the moist closet
should be provided with non-absorbent shelves on which to
place the test pisses, the shelves being so arranged that
they may be withdrawn readily.

Unless otherwise specified all test pieces, immediately
after molding, shall be placed in the meist closet, for from
20 to 24 hours.

The briquettes shall he kept in molds on glass plates
in the moist closet for at least 20 hours. After 24 hours
in moist air the briquettes shall be iumersed in clean water
in storage tanks of non-corroding material.

The air and water shall be maintained as nearly as
practicable at a temperature of 210 C. ( 70°F).

Remarks: All test pieces were stored as specified except
that we could not keep the air and water at the desired
temperature. lhis may have had some effect on the tensile

strength, but all briquettes were in the same storage tank

so that the results are strictly comparative.

Brand

Alpha
Atlas
huren
Michigan
New Aetna

Newaygo

RASJh

Specific
Gravity

5.14
Jelfi

3.09
*3.23
3.06
3.20
3.08
*3.16
3.10

New Egyptian 3.10

Peerless
Peninsular
Petoskey
Universal
Wolverine

Wyandotte

5.11

3.07
*3.18
3.08
*3.21
3.06
*3.17
3.16

3.13

l
%

8518
80.7
81.6
80.6
81.4
80.4
85.7
78.04
85.6
89

3 CF PAYEICAL Tails.

Eineness Soundness

OK

Normal
Consist.

26.75

24.5
28.5
27
26
23.5
24.5

* Refers to the test made for specific gravity after the

sample had been ignited for 45 minutes.

21

Brand

Alpha
Atlas
Huron
Michigan
New Aetna
Rewaygo
Haw Egyptian
Peerless
Peninsular
Petoskey
universal
Wolverine

Wyandotte

RfidJLTS

TIJ£ OF $3?

Initial ‘

4
2
4
4
5
5
4
3
4
I
5

02'

hrs.
hrs.
hrs.
hrs.
hrs.
hrs .
hrs.
hrs.
hrs.
hrs.
hrs.
hrs.

hrs.

59
16
15
20

15
19
35
56
25
28

min.
min.
min.
min.
min.
min.
min.
min.
min.
min.
min.
min.

min.

“OOQOQ'OQQQQU‘D

Final Set
hrs. 24 min.
hr. 82 min.
hrs. 6 min.
hrs. 50 min.
hrs. 8 min.
hrs. 16 min.
hrs. 8 min.
hrs. 40 min.
hrs. 82 min.
hrs. 23 min.
hrs. 45 min.
hrs. 00 min.
hrs. 23 min.

From the above results it is seen that all brands

come well within the limits of 60 minutes to 10 hrs.

Brand

Alpha
AV.
AVe

Atlas

11? e

Huron

AV.

Mich igan

41V 0

New Aetnu

Av.

Nevaygc

AVe

p
21?.

Peerless

T305101 STRSHGIH TJS S.

220

220
300
250
240
275
266

255

Cyptien.245

200
240
210

224
240

250
185

AVe 218

Period
28 day 3 mo. 6 mo. 9 m0. 1 yr.
560
500
515

525

0.55
275
310
505
506
505
555
825
000

005

525

326

TJNSILfi STRENGTHS.

 

(Continued)
Period
Brand 7 day 28 day 5 mo. 6 mo. 9 mo. 1 yr.
Peninsular 265 365
230 560
£55 320
295 360

Av. 266 551
Petoskoy 250 320
295 340

290 305

310 355

AVe 286 330

universal 260 280

210 315
180 315
-- 550

Av. 216 515

Wolverine 180 280

200 270
190 280
190 260

AVe 192 272

Wyandott e l90 .9 735’

180 .2 7 o”
210 .244 vi;
230 .283

Av. 202 .c? 7‘?

 

GJNERAL REflARKS.

It was the original intention of the authors to make
a complete analysis or the chemical prepertiee oi’ the cements
which would include determination ci’ silica, iron and
alminm, calcium, and magnesia. This would have nade a more
complete comparison possible. Due to lack of time we were
forced to abandon this idea after a few had been oompletly
malyaed.

Cements high in alminua reach their full strength in
less time than low aluminum cements. With a complete
analysis we might have been able to predict with some degree
of accuracy how the curve of tensile strengths would appear
for a period of one year. Without this analysis not much
can be said with only the 7 and 28 day tests coupleted.

G-ents high in aluminum also set quicker than low
aluminum cements.

Cnents which are high in silica are slow setting but
show a good tensile strength, also a progressive gain in
tensile strength. It was our intention, with a complete
chemical analysis, to check the percentage of silica against
the time of setting.

CONCLUSION.

In making our conclusions, since all brands passed
the specifications required in all tests except tensile
strength, and since this test together with soundness
is watched most closely by purchasers of cement, we are
using these tests as a basis for comparison. is all
the cements passed the soundness test in a satisfactory
manner, this makes the comparison rest on the tensile
strength.

The Newaygo brand of cement shows a high tensile
strength for the seven and 28 day tests, in which the
28-day test shows a considerable increase over the 7-day
test. The result of the time of setting shows very good
for working conditions.

The Alpha brand of cement shows a very high 7-day
strength but there is no gain in the 28-day strength.

The Wolverine brand of cement is the only one which
failed in tensile strength. This brand failed in both
the 7-day and 28-day tests. Seven of the eight briwuettes
failed to come up to the required strength. 0

All of the.Michigan brands of cement, with the one
exception, appear to stand up very favorable in comparison
with the two eastern brands used in these tests, and
passed all the specifications required by the American
Societh for Testing Materials.

0".

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