Using Portland clinker in structural ceramics

Portland clinker is defined as an artificial material obtained from crudes having the appropriate chemical composition through a process called clinkering (calcining and sintering). Portland clinker is a material composed of at least 66 wt% calcium silicates. The balance must be aluminum and iron oxides. Therefore, clinker is composed of and can be defined as a ceramic material. Clinker is a raw material in manufacturing cements and concrete. Little thought has been given to its application in structural ceramics. However, clinker can be processed as a classical ceramic through conventional powder technology methods, and, therefore, it can have other applications. The objective of this work is to determine the optimum sintering conditions of plain clinker and the optimum amount of additives that increase its sintering density, resulting in better mechanical properties.