Types of Portland cement

The ASTM has designated five types of portland cement, designated Types I-V. Physically
and chemically, these cement types differ primarily in their content of C3A and in their fineness.
In terms of performance, they differ primarily in the rate of early hydration and in their ability to
resist sulfate attack. The general characteristics of these types are listed in Table 3.7. The
oxide and mineral compositions of a typical Type I portland cement were given in Tables 3.4 and
3.6.
Table 3.7. General features of the main types of portland cement.

Classification

Characteristics

Applications

Type I

General purpose

Fairly high C3S content for good early

strength development

General construction (most

buildings, bridges, pavements,
precast units, etc)

Type II

Moderate sulfate resistance

Low C3A content (<8%)

Structures exposed to soil or water

containing sulfate ions

Type III

High early strength

Ground more finely, may have slightly

more C3S

Rapid construction, cold weather

concreting

Type IV

Low heat of hydration (slow

reacting)

Low content of C3S (<50%) and C3A

Massive structures such as dams.

Now rare.

Type V

High sulfate resistance

Very low C3A content (<5%)

Structures exposed to high levels of

sulfate ions

White

White color

No C4AF, low MgO

Decorative (otherwise has

properties similar to Type I)

The differences between these cement types are rather subtle. All five types contain about
75 wt% calcium silicate minerals, and the properties of mature concretes made with all five are
quite similar. Thus these five types are often described by the term ordinary portland cement,
or OPC.

Types II and V OPC are designed to be resistant to sulfate attack. Sulfate attack is an
important phenomenon that can cause severe damage to concrete structures. It is a chemical
reaction between the hydration products of C3A and sulfate ions that enter the concrete from the
outside environment. The products generated by this reaction have a larger volume than the
reactants, and this creates stresses which force the concrete to expand and crack. Although
hydration products of C4AF are similar to those of C3A, they are less vulnerable to expansion, so
the designations for Type II and Type V cement focus on keeping the C3A content low. There is
actually little difference between a Type I and Type II cement, and it is common to see cements
meeting both designations labeled as Type I/II. The phenomenon of sulfate attack will be
discussed in much more detail in Sections 5.3 and 12.3, but it should be noted here that the
most effective way to prevent sulfate attack is to keep the sulfate ions from entering the
concrete in the first place. This can be done by using mix designs that give a low permeability
(mainly by keeping the w/c ratio low) and, if practical, by putting physical barriers such as sheets
of plastic between the concrete and the soil.
Type III cement is designed to develop early strength more quickly than a Type I cement.
This is useful for maintaining a rapid pace of construction, since it allows cast-in-place concrete
to bear loads sooner and it reduces the time that precast concrete elements must remain in their
forms. These advantages are particularly important in cold weather, which significantly reduces
the rate of hydration (and thus strength gain) of all portland cements. The downsides of rapidreacting cements are a shorter period of workability, greater heat of hydration, and a slightly
lower ultimate strength.
Type IV cement is designed to release heat more slowly than a Type I cement, meaning of
course that it also gains strength more slowly. A slower rate of heat release limits the increase
in the core temperature of a concrete element. The maximum temperature scales with the size
of the structure, and Type III concrete was developed because of the problem of excessive
temperature rise in the interior of very large concrete structures such as dams. Type IV cement
is rarely used today, because similar properties can be obtained by using a blended cement.
White portland cement (WPC) is made with raw ingredients that are low in iron and
magnesium, the elements that give cement its grey color. These elements contribute essentially
nothing to the properties of cement paste, so white portland cement actually has quite good
properties. It tends to be significantly more expensive than OPC, however, so it is typically
confined to architectural applications. WPC is sometimes used for basic cements research
because the lack of iron improves the resolution of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)
measurements.
Compound
Tricalcium silicate (3CaO.SiO2)
Dicalcium silicate (2CaO.SiO2)
Tricalcium aluminate (3CaO.Al2O3)
Tetracalcium alumino-ferrite (4CaO.Al2O3.Fe2O3)

The proportions of the above four compounds vary in the various Portland
cements. Tricalcium silicate and dicalcium silicates contribute most to the

Abbreviated
designation
C3S
C2S
C3A
C4AF

eventual strength. Initial setting of Portland cement is due to tricalcium

aluminate. Tricalcium silicate hydrates quickly and contributes more to the
early strength. The contribution of dicalcium silicate takes place after 7 days
and may continue for up to 1 year. Tricalcium aluminate hydrates quickly,
generates much heat and makes only a small contribution to the strength
within the first 24 hours. Tetracalcium alumino-ferrite is comparatively
inactive. All the four compounds generate heat when mixed with water, the
aluminate generating the maximum heat and the dicalcium silicate
generating the minimum. Due to this, tricalcium aluminate is responsible for
the most of the undesirable properties of concrete. Cement having less C3A
will have higher ultimate strength, less generation of heat and less cracking.
Table below gives the composition and percentage of found compounds for
normal and rapid hardening and low heat Portland cement.

Composition and compound content of Portland Cement:

Normal

Rapid hardening

Low heat

63.1
20.6
6.3
3.6

64.5
20.7
5.2
2.9

60
22.5
5.2
4.6

40
30
11
12

50
21
9
9

25
35
6
14

(a) Composition: Percent

Lime
Silica
Alumina
Iron Oxide
(b) Compound: Percent
C3S
C2S
C3A
C3A

The five types of Portland cements exist, with variations of the first three according to ASTM C150. [15]
Type I Portland cement is known as common or general-purpose cement. It is generally assumed
unless another type is specified. It is commonly used for general construction especially when
making precast and precast-prestressed concrete that is not to be in contact with soils or ground
water. The typical compound compositions of this type are:

55% (C3S), 19% (C2S), 10% (C3A), 7% (C4AF), 2.8% MgO, 2.9% (SO3), 1.0% ignition loss, and 1.0%
free CaO
A limitation on the composition is that the (C3A) shall not exceed 15%.
Type II gives off less heat during hydration. This type of cement costs about the same as type I. Its
typical compound composition is:
51% (C3S), 24% (C2S), 6% (C3A), 11% (C4AF), 2.9% MgO, 2.5% (SO3), 0.8% ignition loss, and 1.0%
free CaO
A limitation on the composition is that the (C3A) shall not exceed 8%, which reduces its vulnerability
to sulfates. This type is for general construction exposed to moderate sulfate attack and is meant for
use when concrete is in contact with soils and ground water, especially in the western United States
due to the high sulfur content of the soils. Because of similar price to that of type I, type II is much
used as a general purpose cement, and the majority of Portland cement sold in North America meets
this specification.
Note: Cement meeting (among others) the specifications for types I and II has become commonly
available on the world market.
Type III has relatively high early strength. Its typical compound composition is: 57% (C 3S), 19%
(C2S), 10% (C3A), 7% (C4AF), 3.0% MgO, 3.1% (SO3), 0.9% Ignition loss, and 1.3% free CaO. This
cement is similar to type I, but ground finer. Some manufacturers make a separate clinker with
higher C3S and/or C3A content, but this is increasingly rare, and the general purpose clinker is
usually used, ground to a specific surface area typically 5080% higher. The gypsum level may also
be increased a small amount. This gives the concrete using this type of cement a three-day
compressive strength equal to the seven-day compressive strength of types I and II. Its seven-day
compressive strength is almost equal to 28-day compressive strengths of types I and II. The only
downside is that the six-month strength of type III is the same or slightly less than that of types I and
II. Therefore, the long-term strength is sacrificed a little. It is usually used for precast concrete
manufacture, where high one-day strength allows fast turnover of molds. It may also be used in
emergency construction and repairs and construction of machine bases and gate installations.
Type IV Portland cement is generally known for its low heat of hydration. Its typical compound
composition is: 28% (C3S), 49% (C2S), 4% (C3A), 12% (C4AF), 1.8% MgO, 1.9% (SO3), 0.9% Ignition
loss, and 0.8% free CaO. The percentages of (C2S) and (C4AF) are relatively high and (C3S) and
(C3A) are relatively low. A limitation on this type is that the maximum percentage of (C 3A) is seven,
and the maximum percentage of (C3S) is thirty-five. This causes the heat given off by the hydration

reaction to develop at a slower rate. However, as a consequence the strength of

the concrete develops slowly. After one or two years the strength is higher than the other types after
full curing. This cement is used for very large concrete structures, such as dams, which have a low
surface to volume ratio. This type of cement is generally not stocked by manufacturers but some
might consider a large special order. This type of cement has not been made for many years,
because Portland-pozzolan cements and ground granulated blast furnace slag addition offer a
cheaper and more reliable alternative.
Type V is used where sulfate resistance is important. Its typical compound composition is: 38%
(C3S), 43% (C2S), 4% (C3A), 9% (C4AF), 1.9% MgO, 1.8% (SO3), 0.9% Ignition loss, and 0.8% free
CaO. This cement has a very low (C3A) composition which accounts for its high sulfate resistance.
The maximum content of (C3A) allowed is 5% for type V Portland cement. Another limitation is that
the (C4AF) + 2(C3A) composition cannot exceed 20%. This type is used in concrete to be exposed
to alkali soil and ground watersulfates which react with (C3A) causing disruptive expansion. It is
unavailable in many places, although its use is common in the western United States and Canada.
As with type IV, type V Portland cement has mainly been supplanted by the use of ordinary cement
with added ground granulated blast furnace slag or tertiary blended cements containing slag and fly
ash.

References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland_cement#Types
http://iti.northwestern.edu/cement/monograph/Monograph3_8.html
http://theconstructor.org/building/composition-of-portland-cement/5725/