Performance enhancement of limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) using shale: industrial implementation Perspectives
Limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) is one of prospective low-carbon ternary binders, developed by replacing 50 % of clinker with a combination of calcined clay (40 % kaolinite content) and limestone. However, for the optimization with low-grade clay, and their calcination temperatures remains a si...
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Elsevier
2025-09-01
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| Series: | Engineering Science and Technology, an International Journal |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2215098625001612 |
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| author | Khuram Rashid Mounir Ltifi Idrees Zafar Minkwan Ju |
| author_facet | Khuram Rashid Mounir Ltifi Idrees Zafar Minkwan Ju |
| author_sort | Khuram Rashid |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) is one of prospective low-carbon ternary binders, developed by replacing 50 % of clinker with a combination of calcined clay (40 % kaolinite content) and limestone. However, for the optimization with low-grade clay, and their calcination temperatures remains a significant challenge for large-scale industrial production. This study investigates the potential enhancement of LC3 by incorporating shale/clay alternatives across three phases of casting. In the first phase, the mix proportions of the ternary components were varied to determine LC3 formulations ranging from LC3-10 to LC3-50, replacing ordinary Portland cement (OPC) with 10 % to 50 %, respectively. In the second phase, the optimized composition was further refined by increasing the calcination temperature of the shale/clay with 750, 800, and 850 °C. It was resulted that replacing OPC with up to 20 % LC3, combined with shale calcined at 800 °C, outperformed conventional cement in strength. The third phase focused on industrial plant implementation, where the shale-based LC3-15 and LC3-25 formulations were developed. The findings indicated that the LC3-15 and LC3-25 met the strength requirements of ASTM standards at all tested ages, with the LC3-15 also satisfying EN standards. An in-depth energy utilization analysis revealed significant environmental and economic benefits, with the LC3-25 production at an industrial scale, reducing CO2 emissions by 16.2 % and production costs by 11 %. It was demonstrated that the shale-based LC3-25 as a sustainable alternative to conventional cement. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1c6e2ddc864941f0af19fa45ff0323a4 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2215-0986 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Engineering Science and Technology, an International Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-1c6e2ddc864941f0af19fa45ff0323a42025-08-20T03:56:41ZengElsevierEngineering Science and Technology, an International Journal2215-09862025-09-016910210610.1016/j.jestch.2025.102106Performance enhancement of limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) using shale: industrial implementation PerspectivesKhuram Rashid0Mounir Ltifi1Idrees Zafar2Minkwan Ju3Department of Architectural Engineering and Design, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan; Corresponding authors.Department of Civil Engineering, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaCathodic Protection Services, Saith Limited, United KingdomDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Corresponding authors.Limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) is one of prospective low-carbon ternary binders, developed by replacing 50 % of clinker with a combination of calcined clay (40 % kaolinite content) and limestone. However, for the optimization with low-grade clay, and their calcination temperatures remains a significant challenge for large-scale industrial production. This study investigates the potential enhancement of LC3 by incorporating shale/clay alternatives across three phases of casting. In the first phase, the mix proportions of the ternary components were varied to determine LC3 formulations ranging from LC3-10 to LC3-50, replacing ordinary Portland cement (OPC) with 10 % to 50 %, respectively. In the second phase, the optimized composition was further refined by increasing the calcination temperature of the shale/clay with 750, 800, and 850 °C. It was resulted that replacing OPC with up to 20 % LC3, combined with shale calcined at 800 °C, outperformed conventional cement in strength. The third phase focused on industrial plant implementation, where the shale-based LC3-15 and LC3-25 formulations were developed. The findings indicated that the LC3-15 and LC3-25 met the strength requirements of ASTM standards at all tested ages, with the LC3-15 also satisfying EN standards. An in-depth energy utilization analysis revealed significant environmental and economic benefits, with the LC3-25 production at an industrial scale, reducing CO2 emissions by 16.2 % and production costs by 11 %. It was demonstrated that the shale-based LC3-25 as a sustainable alternative to conventional cement.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2215098625001612Shale-based LC3Optimizing calcinationIndustrial plant implementationPhysico-mechanical performanceEnviro-economic impact |
| spellingShingle | Khuram Rashid Mounir Ltifi Idrees Zafar Minkwan Ju Performance enhancement of limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) using shale: industrial implementation Perspectives Engineering Science and Technology, an International Journal Shale-based LC3 Optimizing calcination Industrial plant implementation Physico-mechanical performance Enviro-economic impact |
| title | Performance enhancement of limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) using shale: industrial implementation Perspectives |
| title_full | Performance enhancement of limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) using shale: industrial implementation Perspectives |
| title_fullStr | Performance enhancement of limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) using shale: industrial implementation Perspectives |
| title_full_unstemmed | Performance enhancement of limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) using shale: industrial implementation Perspectives |
| title_short | Performance enhancement of limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) using shale: industrial implementation Perspectives |
| title_sort | performance enhancement of limestone calcined clay cement lc3 using shale industrial implementation perspectives |
| topic | Shale-based LC3 Optimizing calcination Industrial plant implementation Physico-mechanical performance Enviro-economic impact |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2215098625001612 |
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