Vietnam’s cement and clinker industry is a significant contributor to the country’s economy, characterized by rapid growth and expanding production capacity. Vietnam is among the world’s largest cement producers and exporters, with a majority of its output sold to international markets such as China, Bangladesh, and the Philippines. Domestic demand is driven by infrastructure projects and urbanization. In this article, we will learn more about the Vietnamese cement and clinker industry.
What is Cement, Clinker And Difference Between Them
Clinker
Clinker is a nodular material formed during the kiln stage of cement production and serves as the binding agent in various cement products. These lumps or nodules typically range in size from 3 to 25 mm and are dark grey in color. Clinker is produced by heating finely ground limestone and clay, going through the kiln at temperatures between 1400°C and 1500°C. It can be stored for extended periods in dry conditions without losing its quality.
Clinker is a nodular material formed during the kiln stage of cement production
Cement
Cement is a construction material that acts as a binder, setting and hardening to adhere to other materials and hold them together. Cement is commonly used in building concrete, mortar, and other structures, cement provides strength, durability, and water resistance in infrastructure. It is an essential component in construction projects worldwide.
Cement
Difference between Cement vs Clinker
Cement is essential in construction for creating concrete and mortar, binding building materials, and reinforcing infrastructure. It is also utilized for waterproofing, sealing gaps, and creating decorative designs. And clinker is used to produce cement.
Clinker and cement differ in appearance. Clinkers are small, granular nodules with a diameter of 3-25 mm, while cement is a fine, powdery material, with each pound containing around 150 billion tiny particles.
How to produce Clinker and Cement
Producing cement involves several key steps:
1. Raw Material Extraction: The primary materials, typically limestone and clay, are extracted from quarries.
2. Proportioning and Grinding: The raw materials are carefully proportioned, ground, and mixed to create a homogenous blend.
3. Feeding into the Kiln: The mixture is fed into a kiln, where it is heated to temperatures of about 1,400 to 1,500 °C.
4. Calcination: During this high-temperature process, the materials undergo chemical changes, forming clinker.
5. Cooling: The clinker is then cooled, often using air or water, to prepare it for grinding.
6. Grinding and Mixing with Gypsum: The cooled clinker is finely ground with a small amount of gypsum to control the setting time.
7. Packaging and Distribution: Finally, the finished cement is packaged for distribution and sale.
This process can vary slightly depending on the type of cement being produced, but these are the fundamental steps involved.
Clinker and Cement Production. Source: chemicalengineeringworld.com
Vietnam Cement And Clinker Industry
Vietnam’s cement industry is one of the oldest, established in 1900 when the French introduced the technology in Hai Phong province, which remains the hub of the country’s cement sector. As per the Ministry of Construction, Vietnam currently operates around 84 cement production lines with a combined capacity exceeding 101 million tons annually.
Data from the General Department of Customs shows that in the first quarter of 2024, Vietnam exported over 8.03 million tons of cement and clinker, generating nearly 304.1 million USD, reflecting a 2.3% rise in volume. In March 2024 alone, exports of these products increased by 39.5% in volume and 42.2% in value. Key importers of Vietnam’s cement and clinker include the Philippines, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and China.
Vietnam Common Cement Types
Portland Cement (PC)
Portland cement is a hydraulic binder produced by grinding Portland cement clinker with a required amount of gypsum. During this process, up to 5% limestone additives and up to 1% organic technological additives can be incorporated.
Portland cement comes in grades PC 40 and PC 50, in which:
– PC stands for ordinary Portland cement.
– The numbers 40 and 50 refer to the minimum compressive strength (in MPa) of standard mortar samples after 28 days of curing, as specified in TCVN 6016:2011 (ISO 679:2009).
Portland Cement Blend
Portland Cement Blended is a hydraulic binder made by finely grinding a mixture of Portland cement clinker, the required amount of gypsum, and mineral additives. Technological additives (if necessary) can be incorporated during the grinding process or by blending finely ground mineral additives with Portland cement.
The content of technological additives in cement is not greater than 1%.
The total amount of mineral additives (excluding gypsum) in Portland Cement Blended, calculated by the mass of cement, is not greater than 40%, of which the filler additive is not more than 20 %.
Portland Cement Blended comes in three grades: PCB30, PCB40, and PCB50, where:
– PCB stands for Portland Cement Blended.
– The numbers 30, 40, and 50 represent the minimum compressive strength of a standard mortar sample after 28 days of curing, according to TCVN 6016:1995 (ISO 679:1989). For example, PCB 40 achieves a compressive strength of 18 N/mm² (MPa) after 3 days and ≥40 N/mm² (MPa) after 28 days.
PCB 40 is ideal for structural applications like foundations, columns, roofs, beams, and large concrete structures due to its high compressive strength, flexural strength, and chemical resistance.
PCB 30 is recommended for general construction and plastering purposes.
PC and PCB cement are the two common cement types in Vietnam
Vietnam Clinker
Sulfate Resistant Clinker:
Typically composed of 76% Alite, 5% Belite, 2% Tricalcium Aluminate, 16% Tetracalcium Aluminoferrite, and 1% free Calcium Oxide. Its production has decreased in recent years as sulfate resistance can be achieved using Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GBFS) in cement manufacturing.
Clinker is one of materials to produce cement
Low Heat Clinker:
Contains around 29% Alite, 54% Belite, 2% Tricalcium Aluminate, and 15% Tetracalcium Aluminoferrite, with minimal free lime. This type of clinker is no longer produced, as cement made from standard clinker mixed with Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBFS) offers excellent low-heat properties.
White Clinker:
Consists of 76% Alite, 15% Belite, 7% Tricalcium Aluminate, and no Tetracalcium Aluminoferrite, with 2% free lime, though the composition can vary significantly. White clinker is used to make white cement, commonly applied for aesthetic purposes in construction.
White Clinker
Low-Alkali Clinker:
Characterized by a total alkali content of less than 0.6%, making it suitable for the production of low-alkali cement types I, II, and V. It helps prevent alkali-silica reactions in concrete and is mainly used in moisture-resistant structures like airports, runways, and dams.
Viego Global – Your trusted sourcing partner in Vietnam
Given that Vietnam has big capacity of clinker and cement, it is not easy to find a trustworthy constructional raw material supplier to work with, however. Let’s answer the questions below before conducting your sourcing:
- Are you going to import clinker and cement from Vietnam?
- Are you finding a Vietnamese trusted supplier for different types of clinker and cement?
- Are you finding Vietnamese clinker and cement source of supply with high quality and competitive price?
If your answer is yes for all, please feel free to contact us at Whatsapp line +84 56 264 6315 or email hello@viegoglobal.com.
Being present at the economic centre of Vietnam, Viego Global can greatly help you professionally source and execute order, providing maximum benefits to our clients in terms of delivering a wide range of products at the best competitive pricing. Please contact us HERE for further support about Vietnam Clinker and Cement Industry!