![]() ![]() ![]() The American Geosciences Institute reports that Iowa – which is usually known for its corn - produces about 35 million tons of raw materials from its pits and quarries where gravel deposits and limestone bedrock are close to the land surface.Ĭement manufacturers depends on these mines, and others that provide additional minerals. These limestone mines are found in places you might not think to look. There are a few underground limestone mines, but most are pits on the surface. Surface mining is the general excavation method. Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of the calcium carbonate (CaCO 3) and, according to the Mineral Education Coalition, comprises about 15% of the Earth’s sedimentary crust. Limestone is one of the key minerals used in cement making. You might think of a cement manufacturing facility as an extension to a mining operation, as cement plants are typically located central to the minerals required to make the cement, which saves the transportation costs and reduces the price of the cement. They need to understand the chemical composition of the raw materials so that the reaction in their process takes place correctly and they make good, high quality cement that will eventually be used to make concrete by contractors and “ready-mix” companies. You can think of cement as the “glue” that holds the sand and gravel and re-bar (reinforcement bar) together to make concrete.Ĭement manufacturers mine and process raw materials and put them through a chemical reaction process to create cement. ![]() The concrete is the final product used in buildings, roads, infrastructure, etc. Cement is the grey powdery stuff that when mixed with sand, rock, gravel and water forms concrete. However, these are actually two, somewhat different things. Many people use the words cement and concrete interchangeably. ![]()
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