How cement is made

Braimstorming activity on How cement is made

Braimstorming activity

Reading comprehension. After reading the text, answer ten comprehension questions.

How cement is made

Portland cement is the basic ingredient of concrete. Concrete is formed when portland cement creates a paste with water that binds with sand and rock to harden.

Cement is manufactured through a closely controlled chemical combination of calcium, silicon, aluminum, iron and other ingredients.

Common materials used to manufacture cement include limestone, shells, and chalk or marl combined with shale, clay, slate, blast furnace slag, silica sand, and iron ore. These ingredients, when heated at high temperatures form a rock-like substance that is ground into the fine powder that we commonly think of as cement.

Bricklayer Joseph Aspdin of Leeds, England first made portland cement early in the 19th century by burning powdered limestone and clay in his kitchen stove. With this crude method, he laid the foundation for an industry that annually processes literally mountains of limestone, clay, cement rock, and other materials into a powder so fine it will pass through a sieve capable of holding water. 

Cement plant laboratories check each step in the manufacture of portland cement by frequent chemical and physical tests. The labs also analyze and test the finished product to ensure that it complies with all industry specifications.

The most common way to manufacture portland cement is through a dry method. The first step is to quarry the principal raw materials, mainly limestone, clay, and other materials. After quarrying the rock is crushed. This involves several stages. The first crushing reduces the rock to a maximum size of about 6 inches. The rock then goes to secondary crushers or hammer mills for reduction to about 3 inches or smaller.

The crushed rock is combined with other ingredients such as iron ore or fly ash and ground, mixed, and fed to a cement kiln.

The cement kiln heats all the ingredients to about 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit in huge cylindrical steel rotary kilns lined with special firebrick. Kilns are frequently as much as 12 feet in diameter—large enough to accommodate an automobile and longer in many instances than the height of a 40-story building. The large kilns are mounted with the axis inclined slightly from the horizontal.

The finely ground raw material or the slurry is fed into the higher end. At the lower end is a roaring blast of flame, produced by precisely controlled burning of powdered coal, oil, alternative fuels, or gas under forced draft.  

  Answer every question

1. What is the main ingredient of concrete? [Select the right options]

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2. How is concrete formed? [Select the right options]

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3. Which materials are commonly used to manufacture cement? [Select the right options]

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4. Who was the bricklayer who first made portland cement? [Select the right options]

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5. How did Joseph Aspdin make portland cement? [Select the right options]

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6. What do cement plant laboratories do to ensure the quality of portland cement? [Select the right options]

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7. What is the most common way to manufacture portland cement? [Select the right options]

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8. What are the principal raw materials used in manufacturing portland cement? [Select the right options]

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9. What happens to the rock after it is crushed in the manufacturing process? [Select the right options]

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10. How are the large kilns in the cement plant heated? [Select the right options]

Pronunciation of keywords

Study and practice the list of keywords related to the text. Here is a list of 20 key words from the text along with their phonetic transcriptions:

1.    Cement - /sɪˈmɛnt/

2.    Concrete - /ˈkɒnkriːt/

3.    Paste - /peɪst/

4.    Bind - /baɪnd/

5.    Sand - /sænd/

6.    Rock - /rɒk/

7.    Manufactured - /ˌmænjʊˈfæktʃərd/

8.    Chemical - /ˈkɛmɪkəl/

9.    Calcium - /ˈkælsiəm/

10. Silicon - /ˈsɪlɪkən/

11. Aluminum - /ˌæljuːˈmɪniəm/

12. Limestone - /ˈlaɪmstəʊn/

13. Shale - /ʃeɪl/

14. Blast furnace slag - /blæst ˈfɜːnəs slæɡ/

15. Silica sand - /ˌsɪlɪkə sænd/

16. Iron ore - /ˈaɪən ɔːr/

17. Powder - /ˈpaʊdər/

18. Quarry - /ˈkwɒri/

19. Kiln - /kɪln/

20. Slurry - /ˈslʌri/

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Complete the sentences from this text with the studied keywords

 Fill in the missing words

Speaking. Preparation activity in class.

Speaking: Open-ended discussion questions:

1.    What is the main ingredient used to form concrete? How does it bind with other materials to create concrete?

2.    Describe the process of manufacturing cement. What are the key ingredients and how are they combined?

3.    How did Joseph Aspdin contribute to the cement industry? What were some challenges he faced with his early method?

4.    In what ways do cement plant laboratories ensure the quality of the final cement product? Why is it important to conduct frequent chemical and physical tests?

5.    Explain the most common method used to manufacture portland cement. What are the steps involved in this process?

6.    Why is it necessary to quarry the principal raw materials for cement production? What materials are usually quarried?

7.    How does the cement kiln work, and what role does it play in the cement-making process?

8.    Discuss the significance of the high temperatures involved in the cement-making process. What happens to the materials when heated at such high temperatures?

9.    How are large kilns used in the cement plant? What challenges or benefits do large kilns offer in the cement manufacturing process?

10. What are some alternative fuels used in cement kilns? Why are these fuels used, and how do they contribute to the production of cement?

Watching activity

  Click on the image

"Cement Manufacturing"

  Answer every question

1. How many methods are used to manufacture cement in the video? [Select the right options]

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2. In the wet process, how is the clay purified? [Select the right options]

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3. What is the resulting product called in the dry process? [Select the right options]

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4. What is a rotary kiln? [Select the right options]

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5. How is the charge introduced into the rotary kiln? [Select the right options]

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6. At which end of the rotary kiln is the charge introduced? [Select the right options]

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7. What is the approximate temperature at the burning end of the kiln? [Select the right options]

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8. What chemical reaction takes place at the burning end of the kiln? [Select the right options]

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9. What is the resulting product of the chemical reaction at the burning end? [Select the right options]

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10. What is added to the cement clinker to create the final cement product? [Select the right options]

Grammar: Third and mixed conditionals

Grammar: Third and mixed conditionals:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bTya7dvK6E5w4mssF8jJs2_E4fICaG31/view?usp=sharing

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  Answer every question

If companies had not extracted limestone and clay from quarries, they ____ the essential raw materials for cement.[Select the right option]

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If workers ____ these materials properly, they would have reduced them to the optimal size for processing.[Select the right option]

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If manufacturers had not carefully proportioned and ground these ingredients together, they ____ an inconsistent mixture.[Select the right option]

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If this mixture ____ the massive rotary kilns, it would have encountered temperatures of approximately 2,700°F.[Select the right option]

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If the extreme heat had transformed the materials correctly, it ____ clinker - those crucial dark gray nodules.[Select the right option]

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If engineers ____ the clinker before grinding it with gypsum, they would have compromised the quality of the final product.[Select the right option]

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If laboratory technicians ____ throughout production, they would not have ensured compliance with industry specifications.[Select the right option]

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If Joseph Aspdin had not experimented with burning limestone and clay in his kitchen stove in the early 19th century, he ____ portland cement.[Select the right option]

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If modern manufacturing methods had not evolved from his discovery, we ____ the sophisticated cement production we see today.[Select the right option]

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If cement ____ with water, sand, and aggregates, it would not have created concrete - the foundation of our built environment.[Select the right option]

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If producers had not used the dry method and incorporated alternative materials like iron ore or fly ash, they ____ specific properties in their cement.[Select the right option]

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If the finished cement ____ in silos before shipping, it would not have maintained its quality for construction projects worldwide.[Select the right option]

Kahoot

Learning review: Kahoot

https://create.kahoot.it/share/how-cement-is-made/8e5d9a6c-717e-420e-92dd-44b8767d51bb

Practice

Funny and Engaging Debate: "Wet vs. Dry – The Cement Showdown!"

Duration: 30 minutes
Format: A humorous, interactive debate between two teams – Team Wet Process and Team Dry Process
Objective: To argue which cement manufacturing process is superior in a fun and engaging way

Debate Structure
1. Opening Statements (5 minutes)

👨‍🏫 Moderator's Introduction:
"Welcome, everyone, to the ultimate face-off in the cement world! Today, we have two fierce competitors: Team Wet Process and Team Dry Process! They will battle it out to prove which method is the ultimate champion in cement manufacturing. Get ready for an intense, educational, and maybe slightly ridiculous showdown!"

  • Team Wet Process:

    • "Ladies and gentlemen, imagine a luxurious spa day—for clay! We give our raw materials a nice wash before turning them into cement. Hydration, purification—what’s not to love?"

    • "Without us, cement would be as dry as a bad joke. We bring the slurry, the smoothness, the style!"

  • Team Dry Process:

    • "Who needs all that water? Water is for drinking, not making cement! We keep it clean, efficient, and dry—just like a good dad joke!"

    • "Our method is modern, energy-saving, and responsible—we don’t waste resources on unnecessary baths!"

2. Round 1: The Science Battle (10 minutes)

🔥 Each team presents their arguments in a dramatic and funny way

  • Team Wet Process:

    • "We use water to make sure our raw materials are well-mixed and smooth, unlike the lumpy oatmeal that Dry Process supporters probably eat for breakfast!"

    • "Plus, our process has been around for AGES. Traditional, reliable, and timeless—just like grandpa’s storytelling skills."

  • Team Dry Process:

    • "Who needs water when we have technology? We mix everything perfectly without getting our hands wet—just like a true genius avoiding dishes!"

    • "Plus, have you heard of climate change? We help save energy and reduce emissions! We are the Tesla of cement making!"

🎤 Moderator asks audience to cheer for which side they find more convincing

3. Round 2: The Roast Session (5 minutes)

🤡 Teams take turns making funny jabs at each other

  • Team Wet Process:

    • "Dry Process folks claim to be modern, but honestly, their cement is so dry it could be used as an emergency desert survival kit!"

    • "They say they save energy, but they also make their workers suffer in dusty conditions—who’s really winning here?"

  • Team Dry Process:

    • "Wet Process people take so long to dry, it’s like watching paint dry—oh wait, that’s literally what they do!"

    • "They say they are smooth, but in reality, they are just one big muddy mess!"

😂 Moderator encourages audience to vote on the best burns

4. Final Statements (5 minutes)

📢 Each team gets one last chance to win over the audience

  • Team Wet Process:

    • "If you love smooth, high-quality cement that never lets you down, choose us! Wet is best!"

  • Team Dry Process:

    • "If you love efficiency, modern technology, and saving the planet, go Dry or go home!"

🏆 Audience votes for the winner

5. Bonus: The Cement Dance-Off (Optional - 5 minutes)

🎶 Teams do a funny "cement-making dance"—one team mimics a water-splashing motion, while the other does a “dry mix” robotic dance.

🎉 Winner gets a golden cement trophy (or just bragging rights)!