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LC3 (Limestone Calcined Clay Cement):

LC3 is ternary cement, blended or interground mixture of Portland cement clinker, calcined clay and
limestone with addition of gypsum (natural or chemical), of Portland cement clinker .
Or
An intimate and uniform blending of ordinary Portland cement, finely ground limestone and fine calcined
clay with addition of ground gypsum, if required.
Ratio of Components are shown as following (when use OPC)

Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC3)

Gypsum
5%
Ground Limestone
15%
Clinker (same as
Portland Cement)
50%

Calcined Clay
30%

Or
Ratio of Components are shown as following (when use Clinker)

Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC3)

Gypsum
5%
Ground Limestone
15%
Portland Cement Clinker
50%

Calcined Clay
30%

History:

 LC3 has been developed in an international collaboration between the University of Las Villas,
Cuba and Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzlerand, which was funded by the
Swiss government.
 Researchers from IIT Delhi, IIT Madras and IIT Bombay are working together with the personnel
of TARA to understand and develop LC3 for the Indian cement Industry.
 In India as on 04/08/2021 ‘DRAFT INDIAN STANDARD IN WIDE CIRCULATION’ has been
submitted to BIS Core team for comments by “Technical Committee : Cement And Concrete,
CED 02”, the last date for sharing the comments has been given upto 16 September 2021.

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Raw Materials (Components):

Limestone:(15%):
The limestone used in the manufacturing of LC3 shall contain at least 75% of carbonates,
including limestone and dolomite. The total of calcium oxide and magnesium oxide content in the
limestone shall not be less than 35 percent.
Suitable limestone can be identified by measuring the weight-loss between 700 °C and 800 °C
and by XRD, The mass loss of the limestone shall be not less than 28 percent of the mass of the limestone
when measured as per Annexure-C of IS 17844.

Clinker or Portland Cement:

 The Portland cement clinker used in the manufacturing of the cement shall confirm to IS 16353.
When the cement is produced by blending of the individual components, the fineness of the
ground clinker shall not be less than 225 m2/kg.
 If clinker is not available in nearby sites then Portland cement (OPC) may be used and the
Portland cement for blending for manufacture of cement as per this standard shall confirm to IS
269.

Calcined Clay:
The raw clay used in the manufacture of the calcined clay should contain at least 40% kaolinite
when determined as per Annex-B & activated through thermal calcination, have been found to be
suitable, and it is explained in IS-1344 for kaolinite types of clay.

 The loss of mass on ignition of the raw clay, as determined according to the procedure described
in Annex-B, shall not be less than 5.6 percent of the weight of the clay.
 The clay shall be calcined by maintaining it at high temperatures for a duration long enough to
achieve temperatures above 750 ˚C throughout the mass of the clay. During calcination, the
temperature of the clay shall, in no case, be higher than 950 ˚C. When tested in accordance with
IS 1727, the lime reactivity of the calcined clay shall not be less than 8 MPa.

 The clays can be calcined at 700 °C to 800 °C to remove its chemically attached hydroxyl groups,
making it amorphous and reactive.

 The mass loss on ignition of the clay after calcination, when measured according to the procedure
described in Annex B, shall not be more than 1.5 percent of the mass of the clay.

 Suitable clays can be easily identified by measuring the weight-loss in the clay between 300 °C
and 800 °C using Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) or a muffle furnace since the kaolinite
phase loses 14% of its weight in this temperature range.
 This can be verified using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), where the kaolinite and other peaks are visible

Gypsum:

With required addition of gypsum so as to produce cement capable of complying with this
standard, means addition should be on that proportion in which the cement can achieve the
physical requirement as per above table 01.

The homogeneity of the mixture shall be guaranteed within ±3 percent for each of the declared
limestone and calcined clay addition in the same consignment.

Physical Characteristic/ Requirement:

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Limestone Calcined Clay Cement shall comply with the physical requirements given in
following Table 01.

SIN Requir
Characteristic Method of Test, Ref to
o. ement
(1) (2) (3) (4)
2 400 IS4031(Part2)
a) Fineness, m /kg, Min

b) Soundness: IS4031(Part3)
a) By Le-Chatelier method, mm, 1. In the event of cements failing to comply with one or
Max 10 both the requirements of soundness specified in the
above table, further tests in respect of failure shall be
0.8 made as described in IS4031 (Part 3), from another
portion of the same sample after aeration. The
b) By auto clave test method, aeration shall be done by spreading out the sample to
percent, Max a depth of 75 mm at a relative humidity of 50 to 80
percent for a total period of 7 days. The expansion of
cements so aerated shall not be more than 5 mm and
0.6 percent when tested by Le-Chatelier method and
autoclave test, respectively.
iii) Setting time: IS4031(Part5)
a) Initial, min, Min 1. If cement exhibits false set, the ratio of final
30 penetration measurement after 5 min of completion of
mixing period to the initial penetration measured
600 exactly after 20 s of completion of mixing period,
b) Final, min, Max
expressed as percent, shall not be less than 50. In the
event of cement exhibiting false set, the initial and
final setting time of cement when tested by the
method described in IS 4031 (Part 5) after breaking
the false set, shall confirm to the value given in the
above table.
IS4031(Part6)
iv) Compressive strength, MPa ):
23 1. For measurement of the compressive and transverse
a) 72±1h,Min strength of the cement, the specimens shall be cured
33
under conditions specified in IS 4031 (Part 6).
43
b) 168±2h,Min

v) Drying shrinkage, percent, Max 0.15 IS4031 (Part10)

vi) Transverse strength (Optional) IS4031(Part8)

1. For measurement of the compressive and transverse
strength of the cement, the specimens shall be cured
under conditions specified in IS 4031 (Part 6).
2. By agreement between the purchaser and the
manufacturer, transverse strength test of plastic
mortar in accordance with the method described in IS
4031 (Part 8) may be specified. The permissible
values of the transverse strength shall be mutually
agreed to between the purchaser and the supplier at
the time of placing the order.
3. Notwithstanding the compressive and transverse
strength requirements specified as per the above
table, the cement shall show a progressive increase in
strength from the strength at 72 h.

CHEMICAL REQUIREMENTS
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Chemical Requirements for Limestone Calcined Clay Cement is shown in following
Table-02.

SI
Characteristic Requirement
No.

4.0(100−x)
Insoluble residue, percent by x+
1 100
mass, Max where x is the declared percentage of calcined clay in the given
Portland calcined clay limestone cement
Magnesia, percent by mass,
2 6
Max
Total sulphur content
calculated as
3 3.5
sulphuric anhydrite (SO3),
percent by mass, Max
Loss on ignition, percent by
4 12
mass, Max
0.1
Chloride content, percent by
5 0.05 (for pre-stressed
mass, Max structures)

Alkali aggregate reactions have been noticed in aggregates in

some parts of the country. On large and important jobs where
the concrete is likely to be exposed to humid atmosphere or
wetting action, it is advisable that the aggregate be tested for
alkali aggregate reaction. In the case of reactive aggregates, the
use of cement with alkali content below 0.8 percent expressed
6 Alkali content
as sodium oxide (Na2O + 0.658 K2O) is recommended. Where,
however, such cements are not available, use of alternative
means may be resorted to for which a reference may be made
to appropriate provisions on durability in the concrete codes. If
so desired by the purchaser, the manufacturer shall carry out
test for alkali content.

Chemical Properties:

a. LC3 is understood to have a finer pore-structure than OPC

b. A high chloride binding capacity.
c. It is therefore durable against corrosion, sulphate attack and other deterioration mechanisms,
making it suitable in aggressive conditions.

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Economic Feasibility
Production of LC3 is very much economical where good quality fly ash is not available, as calcined clay
may replace the fly ash.

Environmental sustainable growth:

LC3 supports a sustainable growth by following factors

a. Reducing the CO2 Emission approx. 30% Lower than OPC, 11% Lower than PPC.
b. Energy consumption is also reduced compared to OPC & PPC.

To be noticed:

The fineness of the clay should be controlled since finer clays can increase water-demand of the cement.
The presence of limestone reduces the water-demand of the cement.

Manufacturing Process:

Material Proportion to be used in Limestone Calcined Clay Cement

SI No. Material Proportion (Percent by Weight)

(1) (2) (3)
Portland cement clinker
50 – 80 (in case clinker is used)
a or
55 – 85 (in case OPC is used)
Ordinary Portland cement
b Calcined clay 10 – 35
c Limestone 5 – 20

5.1 Limestone calcined clay cement shall be manufactured either by,

a) intimately inter-grinding Portland cement clinker, limestone and calcined clay; or
b) intimately and uniformly blending ordinary Portland cement, finely ground
limestone and finely ground calcined clay;

5.2 When limestone calcined clay cement is obtained by grinding limestone and
calcined clay with Portland cement clinker, no material shall be added after burning,
other than gypsum (natural mineral or chemical, see Note), water and not more than a
total of 1.0 percent of air-entraining agents or other agents including colouring agents,
which have proved not to be harmful. The limitation of all such additions shall also apply
to manufacture of limestone calcined clay cement by blending process. Furthermore,
when the grinding of the clinker is carried out along with limestone and calcined clay,
care shall be taken to ensure that a uniform fineness is achieved for all constituents of
the cement, that is clinker, calcined clay and limestone.

References:
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Author: kuldeep singh
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1. [Link]

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