Investigation on the effect of using boron compounds in cement mill grinding aids on the properties of produced cement

In this study, it has been investigated whether adding the boron-containing compounds to grinding aids or their mixture contribute or not to the performance of the amine and glycol-based grinding aids used during cement grinding. The physical properties cement sieve (32 µ, 45µ, 90 µ) analyzes, Blaine fineness, initial and final setting points, Vicat water quantities, compressive strengths (2, 7, 28 days) and XRF elemental analysis, ignition loss analysis, free lime analysis were performed. As for grinding aids, triethanolamine (TEA) and triisopropanolamine (TIPA) from the amine group, monoethyleneglycol (MEG) and diethylene glycol (DEG) from the glycol group and boric acid and anhydrous borax from boron compounds were used. CEM I type cements were obtained by adding some quantity of gypsum into Portland clinker in the experiments. The results showed that the boron compounds had a negative effect on the concrete strength performance of amine-based grinding aids. The addition of boron compounds to MEG from the glycol-based grinding aids did not have any effect on the concrete compressive strength performances, but in the experiments with DEG, it was seen that the boron compounds increased the compressive strength performance of the grinding aid at all ages of strength (2,7, 28 days). All mixtures of amine-based and glycol-based grinding aids with boron compounds increased the total surface areas of the samples relative to the reference cement. TEA retarder effect at the initial and final stages of setting was reduced by the use of boron compounds and was closer to reference cement setting times.