The present invention relates to a device for heat-treating solid material, in particular in granular form, wherein the device comprises a kiln and an external heat generator, wherein said kiln comprises at least one sloped sliding surface on which a bed of said solid material slides down within said kiln due to gravity while a hot gas generated by the external heat generator is led through said solid material to heat said solid material to a desired temperature in order to change the substance properties of said solid material. According to the invention, said external heat generator for generating said hot gas is external to said kiln, wherein said kiln further comprises at least one kiln gas inlet through which said hot gas enters said kiln, such that the necessary temperature of said hot gas can be controlled precisely in that said hot gas is generated in said external heat generator, ensuring that the solid material does not experience temperatures above an allowed maximum temperature, and further such that the solid material is not exposed to radiation from a burner.

The present invention relates to a device for heat-treating solid material, in particular in granular form, wherein the device comprises a kiln and an external heat generator, wherein said kiln comprises at least one sloped sliding surface on which a bed of said solid material slides down within said kiln due to gravity while a hot gas generated by the external heat generator is led through said solid material to heat said solid material to a desired temperature in order to change the substance properties of said solid material. According to the invention, said external heat generator for generating said hot gas is external to said kiln, wherein said kiln further comprises at least one kiln gas inlet through which said hot gas enters said kiln, such that the necessary temperature of said hot gas can be controlled precisely in that said hot gas is generated in said external heat generator, ensuring that the solid material does not experience temperatures above an allowed maximum temperature, and further such that the solid material is not exposed to radiation from a burner.

A method for producing a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) that includes providing a starting material containing dolomite and aluminium silicate, converting the starting material to the supplementary cementitious material by burning in the temperature range of >800 to 1100° C. or by burning in the temperature range of 725 to 950° C. in the presence of a mineralizer and cooling the supplementary cementitious material.

Mortar with small autogenous shrinkage strain and a method for producing the same are provided. Mortar has binder and fine aggregate, wherein the binder includes cement and fine mineral powder, and the mortar is formed by being mixed with water. The fine aggregate is air granulated ferronickel slag, and weight ratio of water to a combination of the binder and the fine aggregate is 7.0% or more and 9.0% or less. Such mortar can be produced by mixing binder, fine aggregate and water.

Mortar with small autogenous shrinkage strain and a method for producing the same are provided. Mortar has binder and fine aggregate, wherein the binder includes cement and fine mineral powder, and the mortar is formed by being mixed with water. The fine aggregate is air granulated ferronickel slag, and weight ratio of water to a combination of the binder and the fine aggregate is 7.0% or more and 9.0% or less. Such mortar can be produced by mixing binder, fine aggregate and water.

Method of efficiently manufacturing cement-SCM compositions having improved strength compared to cement-SCM compositions made using conventional methods. The cement-SCM compositions may contain: (A) a fine interground particulate component with (1) a hydraulic cement fraction and (2) a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) fraction; (B) a coarse particulate component comprised of coarse SCM particles not interground with the fine interground particulate component; and optionally (C) an auxiliary particulate component not interground with the fine interground particulate component or the coarse particulate component. A method of manufacturing a cement-SCM composition may be performed by: (A) intergrinding hydraulic cement (e.g., cement clinker) with one or more SCMs to form a fine interground particulate component; (B) blending, without intergrinding, the fine interground particulate component with a coarse particulate component comprised of coarse SCM particles; and optionally (C) further combining, without intergrinding, an auxiliary particulate component with the fine interground particulate component and the coarse particulate component.

Method of efficiently manufacturing cement-SCM compositions having improved strength compared to cement-SCM compositions made using conventional methods. The cement-SCM compositions may contain: (A) a fine interground particulate component with (1) a hydraulic cement fraction and (2) a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) fraction; (B) a coarse particulate component comprised of coarse SCM particles not interground with the fine interground particulate component; and optionally (C) an auxiliary particulate component not interground with the fine interground particulate component or the coarse particulate component. A method of manufacturing a cement-SCM composition may be performed by: (A) intergrinding hydraulic cement (e.g., cement clinker) with one or more SCMs to form a fine interground particulate component; (B) blending, without intergrinding, the fine interground particulate component with a coarse particulate component comprised of coarse SCM particles; and optionally (C) further combining, without intergrinding, an auxiliary particulate component with the fine interground particulate component and the coarse particulate component.

An activated pozzolan composition includes a fine interground particulate blend of an initially unactivated natural pozzolan and a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) different than the initially unactivated natural pozzolan. The initially unactivated natural pozzolan may include volcanic ash or other natural pozzolanic deposit having a moisture content of at least 3%, and the activated pozzolan composition can have a moisture content less than 0.5% The initially unactivated natural pozzolan may have a particle size less than 1 mm before intergrinding with the SCM. The SCM used to activate the initially unactivated natural pozzolan can be initially coarse or granular with a size greater than 1-3 μm and may include granulated blast furnace slag, steel slag, other metallurgical slag, pumice, limestone, fine aggregate, shale, tuff, trass, geologic material, waste glass, glass shards, basalt, sinters, ceramics, recycled bricks, recycled concrete, refractory materials, other waste industrial products, sand, or natural mineral.

An activated pozzolan composition includes a fine interground particulate blend of an initially unactivated natural pozzolan and a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) different than the initially unactivated natural pozzolan. The initially unactivated natural pozzolan may include volcanic ash or other natural pozzolanic deposit having a moisture content of at least 3%, and the activated pozzolan composition can have a moisture content less than 0.5% The initially unactivated natural pozzolan may have a particle size less than 1 mm before intergrinding with the SCM. The SCM used to activate the initially unactivated natural pozzolan can be initially coarse or granular with a size greater than 1-3 μm and may include granulated blast furnace slag, steel slag, other metallurgical slag, pumice, limestone, fine aggregate, shale, tuff, trass, geologic material, waste glass, glass shards, basalt, sinters, ceramics, recycled bricks, recycled concrete, refractory materials, other waste industrial products, sand, or natural mineral.

A process to enhance the pozzolanic activity of a natural inactive sedimentary pozzolan and the pozzolanic material formed by the process are described. The process comprises the steps of finely dividing the pozzolan to a Blaine fineness of at least 8,000 cm.sup.2/g for increasing the surface area of the finely ground pozzolan and exposing a great amount of the number of silicon and aluminum atoms available to react with lime in a pore solution.