This study determines the average value of Vickers micro-hardness of the clinker crystalline compounds and evaluates the effect of foreign ions and mineralogical composition on the micro-hardness results. A significant number of samples were collected from the feed-conveyor belt of the clinker ball mill at eleven co-processing kilns in Brazil. The results show that the micro-hardness varies according to the type of impurities and their distribution. Also, the mineralogical content and alumina/iron ratio play an important role.
Clinker; micro-hardness; cement; mineralogy
