CEMENG MINI AND TINY AAC BLOCKS PLANTS:

AAC DRY READY MIX IS THE BASIS

D S Venkatesh, Freelance Industrial Consultant
Mob: 09342816950 E-mail: dsvenkatesh40@gmail.com
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1.0 What is AAC?

AAC is lightweight autoclaved aerated concrete which is completely cured, inert
and stable form of calcium silicate hydrate. It is a structural material, approximately
one quarter the weight of conventional concrete, composed of minute cells which
give the material light weight and high thermal insulation properties. It is available
as blocks and pre-cast reinforced units, i.e. floors, roofs, walls and lintels.
There are at present 35 AAC manufacturing units in India operating on standalone
basis. Some of the cement plants have added AAC blocks to their product portfolio.
However, AAC has not penetrated into smaller towns and cities, mainly, due to its
higher cost visa a vis locally manufactured conventional concrete masonry blocks,
in spite of its several techno economic advantages for the Buildings Construction
Industry. Being a green product, use of AAC would pave way for conserving
depleting high cost Natural River sand /manufactured sand.
2.0 Materials required for manufacture of AAC:
Materials for AAC vary with manufacturer and location specific. The constituent
materials for AAC are specified in ASTM C1386. They include some or all of the
following: fine silica sand; Class F fly ash; hydraulic cements; calcined lime;
gypsum; expansive agents such as finely ground aluminum powder or paste; and
mixing water.

Autoclaved aerated concrete is actually hydrated calcium silicate. AAC is produced

out of a mix of quartz sand and/or pulverized fly ash (PFA), lime, cement,
gypsum/anhydrite, water and aluminum and is hardened by steam-curing in
autoclaves.
The silica is obtained from silica sand, fly ash (PFA), crushed silica rock and/or
stone. It is possible to obtain silica as a by-product from other processes, e.g.
foundry sand or burgee from glass grinding, provided the levels of alkalis or
other impurities are not too high. The calcium is obtained from quick lime,
hydrated lime and cement. The gypsum is used as a catalyst and for optimizing
the properties of AAC. Careful regulation of the amount of aluminum powder
gives accurate control of the density of the final product.
3.0 Limitation on Availability and cost of Materials:
The cost of AAC predominantly depends upon the cost of input material
constituents .In India, AAC is either sand based or pulverized fuel ash based. As
Sand is getting costly day by day, substitute industrial waste materials are
increasingly used for partial or full replacement of Sand for effecting economy in
the construction industry. Availability of fly ash is limited to thermal plants /captive
units and remote locations away from the market.
AAC being multi-constituent, not all raw materials would be available at any specific
location, limiting spread of AAC manufacturing units across the country. Besides,
the transportation /distribution costs to consuming centre pose additional restraint.
3.0 What is the solution? : Produce AAC Dry Ready Mix.
The existing AAC units and Cement plants can add AAC Dry Ready mix to their
product portfolio. AAC Dry Ready mix is proportioned blend of siliceous materials,
calcined lime, cement and gypsum that can be made available in dry powder form
of requisite fineness just like Cement or Ready mix mortar in packed bags.
Many Mini and Tiny AAC Blocks Plants can be set up across the country to meet
local needs. Each of these units will use AAC Dry Ready mix as starting point ,
make a slurry with water, mix the expansive agent and cast the blocks .Steam cure
green blocks in autoclaves to produce the finished product viz AAC Blocks.
To economize production costs, instead of natural sand/manufactured sand,
substitute waste materials from other industries have been partially used up to:
copper slag (50%), Granulated Blast furnace Slag (75%), Washed bottom ash
(30%), Quarry dust (55-75%), Foundry sand (50%), spent fire bricks, Sheet glass
powder (10%). Quarry dust combined with fly ash can replace sand up to 100%.

4.0 AAC Dry Ready mix production in Cement Plants:

Most of the cement plants in India face the problem of utilization of marginal and low
grade lime stones from their quarries unless they resort to beneficiation techniques
which may not be always profitable. These marginal and low grade lime stones can
be put to better use to produce AAC Dry Ready mix. According to NCB Norms,
limestone with %Cao: 40=44 and %SiO2: 12-16 are classified as marginal, whereas
limestone with %CaO: 36-40 and %SiO2:16-20 are classified as low grade.
The high silica content marginal and low grade limestone can be burnt in
vertical shaft kilns located at the quarry itself, employing mix of rice husk and /or
coal as fuel. The burnt output would be a mix of burnt lime; un burnt limestone,
and fuel ash acceptable in AAC production. Rice husk ash contains around 85 %
- 90 % amorphous silica, a rich silica substitute. The particle size of the cement is
about 35 microns .RHA is finer than cement having very small particle size of 25
microns , so much so that it fills the interstices in between the cement in the
aggregate. That is where the strength and density comes from. And that is why
it can reduce the amount of cement in the concrete mix. Other constituents viz
Cement Clinker and gypsum are readily available in the plant.
Existing cement plants can thus produce AAC Dry Ready Mix economically.
Cemeng employs a PSRG Mill functioning in open circuit to grind the raw mix
constituents comprising proportioned amounts of clinker, burnt and un burnt
limestone, fly ash and gypsum. Additives as required may be simultaneously added
to enhance the property of mix if required. The AAC Dry ready mix can be packed
in paper bags and sold, just like cement or ready mortar. Alternatively, the plant can
employ mini silos for transport to site and stored.
5.0 Cemeng Mini and Tiny AAC Blocks plants:
5.1 AAC Ready Mix is the basis for Cemeng Mini and Tiny AAC Blocks plants. A
horizontal drum reversible concrete mixer converts AAC dry ready mix with addition
of water into slurry of required consistency. Next, Aluminum powder is added and
mixed. Immediate discharge is carried out into the moulds for casting the Blocks.
This is a batch mixer and thus most appropriate for the job. The reversible mixer can
be completely emptied before taking up the next batch.

Conventional Steel Box Mould and Wet cutting of Green cake to Blocks

5.2 The size of the wet cake is generally 1220x1210x600. Two alternatives are
considered for the mould: conventional steel box arrangement or Fleximould
Wet cutting of green cake is resorted in case of exclusive production of smaller
blocks. Wet cutting is carried out by a one-way or two-way Wire cutting machine.
However, other AAC products with or without reinforcement necessarily require Dry
milling of cured cakes for profiling. Fleximould is employed when Dry milling of
cured cakes is resorted.
5.3 Autoclaving is steam curing at high temperature and pressure, and required to
achieve the desired structural properties and dimensional stability. The chemical
reactions that produce the final calcium silicate hydrate structure takes place in the
autoclave. The process takes about eight to 12 hours under a pressure of about 174
psi (12 Bars) and a temperature of about 360F (180C), depending on the grade of
material produced. During autoclaving, the whole green cakes remain in their
original positions.
Autoclave curing is compulsory. A solar heat Autoclave is employed. The autoclave
also acts as steam generator .with built in water reservoir at its bottom. A thermal oil

reservoir is directly mounted on the top of the autoclave and concentrated solar heat
receive is employed with linear acrylic Fresnel lens box. The thermal oil is kept in
continuous circulation via a pump and the required heat exchange coil is submerged
within the water reservoir of the autoclave.

Conventional Autoclave with Double door arrangement

Note: Green blocks stacked horizontal or vertical
5.4 Cemeng Autoclaves are novel in concept and construction suitable for steam
curing of wide variety of concrete products. It is primarily an underground
rectangular shaped longitudinal tunnel constructed from RCC and refractory lined.
The base of the tunnel serves as water reservoir and has embedded heat
exchanger arrangement. Two quick opening doors are provided one at each end of
autoclave. Mobile mold trays carrying the cakes are loaded or unloaded by means of
a jib hoist and winch mechanism. Hot thermic fluid flows through the heat exchanger
to generate required steam. Solar heat is employed to heat the thermic fluid.

Cemeng Fleximold for casting green cakes

Use of Fleximold for casting the green cake and after-cutting of autoclaved cake
would be highly productive with underground autoclaves. The ready slurry is poured

directly into the Fleximold that is lowered into the autoclave. Pre-curing is within the
autoclave as also steam curing subsequently. This reduces the auxiliary transfer
equipment and also process time.
The steam cured AAC block can be directly transported to the marketing yards
economically than cut to size small blocks and after-cutting can be carried out by the
Stockiest or at the Construction site itself.

After-cutting of autoclaved AAC

Existing granite/stone cutting and polishing units at different cities in the marketing
zone can be Stockiest and effectively used to saw cut and trim the AAC Blocks to
required size/dimensions. It is always possible to saw cut the large size AAC Block
to required smaller units at the Construction site. Any broken pieces can be used as
lightweight filler, thus nothing is wasted.
6.0 Conclusion:
Every Building materials plant has to take green sustainability initiatives;
Being a green product, use of AAC would pave way for conserving depleting
high cost natural river sand /manufactured sand.AAC Dry Ready mix can be
readily added to product portfolio of existing larger capacity AAC plants and
Cement plants. AAC Dry Ready mix forms the basis for setting of Mini and
Tiny AAC Blocks plants in smaller towns and cities wide across India,
competing with conventional concrete masonry blocks. AAC Blocks can save
time and labor, Cement and Sand during construction.
Note: Entrepreneurs can retain the author as Technical Consultant for
detailed engineering services from concept to commissioning and trial runs.

References:
01 Silica and calcium joined in premium products

By Sandy Herod Pit and Quarry Dec 1987 pages 72 74

02 Brick manufacture in a Cement Plant by D S Venkatesh,
Cemtec Engineering, and Secunderabad.
Indian Cement Review May 1989, Pages ICR-19 toICR-25
03Let us employ PSRG Milling Technology by D.S.Venkatesh,
Indian Cement Industry Desk Book, March 2014.
04 Gubbi Enterprises, Mumbai
05 The Master Cut, THT International Co Ltd
06 The International Seminar on Mineral Processing Technology
07Recent Trends in replacement of natural sand with different alternatives
(IOSR-JMCE)