STUDY OF THE MINERALIZING EFFECT OF CRYOLITE AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE PROCESSES OF CLINKER FORMATION

The article discusses the possibility of using cryolite Na3AlF6, the main fluorine-containing compound of a man-made product of electrolytic aluminum production, as a mineralizing additive when burning clinker. A comparative assessment of the effectiveness of cryolite Na3AlF6, as a mineralizer, and calcium fluoride CaF2, a substance that has the most effective mineralizing effect, is provided. The influence of mineralizer additives on the processes of dissociation of calcium carbonate, assimilation of free calcium oxide with the formation of silicates, aluminates and calcium ferrites, liquid-phase sintering and clinker formation with the synthesis of basic clinker minerals is considered. The physical and chemical processes that occur when heating raw material mixtures without additives and with the addition of mineralizers – CaF2 and Na3AlF6 – to a clinker sintering temperature of 1450ºC are examined in detail. The dynamics of changes in the qualitative phase composition of firing products at various temperatures, ranging from 700ºC to the clinker sintering temperature of 1450ºC, as well as a quantitative characteristic of the intensity of formation of the main clinker minerals are presented. It has been determined that cryolite has a mineralizing effect and can be used as a mineralizer when burning clinker. The effectiveness of cryolite is comparable to the effectiveness of calcium fluoride, and the burning temperature of clinker can be reduced to 1400ºC