Synthesis of polymer-based silver nanoparticles and investigation of their effect on cement grinding performance

Cement production is a process in which energy use is intensive, and approximately one-third of the energy required to produce one ton of cement is used in the grinding of clinker and additives. The amount of energy used in all raw material-product processes in cement production is an average of 110 kWh for the production of one ton of cement. A large portion of this energy (approximately 60-70%) is allocated for grinding. For this reason, the number of studies on the application of cement by enriching it with nanomaterials in order to increase energy efficiency in cement production is increasing. Nanotechnology is an interdisciplinary science, and it enables the reduction of costs and the production of more environmentally friendly products by designing the properties of the material. In this context, it was aimed to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using polymer-based grinding aid and to investigate the effect of the obtained grinding aid on the grinding of cement clinker. The synthesis of polymer-based silver nanoparticles (PCA-AgNPs) was carried out and the nanoparticles were characterized by UV-Vis (Ultraviolet-Visible region), analyses. The integration of the synthesized PCA-AgNPs into the liquid cement grinding aid was completed and the effects of these nanoparticles on cement performance were investigated by experiments. After ball grinding, the clinker was subjected to particle size analysis using the Blain device and the Laser Grain Distribution Device, and the final product was supported by cement dispersion, bending and pressure tests. As a result, it was determined that the obtained grinding aid was effective in the cement grinding process, not only saving energy by reducing grinding time but also optimizing particle size distribution and minimizing particle size.