Investigation of glycerol polymerization in the clinker grinding process

Concrete production is a large scale process that involves high energy consumption. In order to increase the sustainability of this process, the reduction of energy input is necessary. Bio-glycerol was demonstrated to be a highly efficient renewable-based additive in the grinding process for concrete production and helped reduce energy costs and improve the quality of the resulting product. In order to understand its excellent aiding properties, the interaction of glycerol with cement clinkers was investigated; both chemical and physical interactions were taken into account. The results of this investigation points to surface tension modification of the clinker particles as one of the main effects of bio-glycerol addition during the grinding process.