Hydraulic Vs Non-hydraulic Cement

Cement is technically a binder a chemical substance made to either hold itself to take up a form or to hold two other objects together. With an existence that traces back to the Romans, it initially consisted of a mixture of crushed rock and lime which was used as the binding substance in construction. Today, the most commonly used form of cement worldwide is Portland cement which is purpose built for the field of construction. Cement can be broadly classified into non-hydraulic cement and hydraulic cement.

Non-hydraulic cement is a basic and cheaper alternative compared to hydraulic cement. Non-hydraulic cement was the initial mixture of the original cement that was discovered centuries ago. As opposed to hydraulic cement, it does not harden when exposed to water after the cement has been set after use. What makes it a bad contender against hydraulic cement is that it takes a substantially longer time to dry off and gain strength after being set. Even in use for bricklaying in mortar, non-hydraulic cement takes a very long time to gain strength.

Due to many problems and issues faced with long drying periods along with a requirement for dry weather conditions, non-hydraulic cement proved to be a failure which lead to the development of hydraulic cement.

Hydraulic cement unlike non-hydraulic cement did not require a substantial amount of time to dry. Unlike hydraulic cement, it did not demand for the right weather conditions and dried in almost any weather. Today with various improvements in science and with new chemicals being developed, hydraulic cements have reached new heights and many more applications. Stucco mixed with hydraulic cement is now being used for finishing brick buildings in wet weather conditions. Their ability to harden lies in the process called hydration in which chemical reactions take place in the mixture without any specific requirement for the water content which is why such cements can even be set underwater.

Global Trust Enterprises is a general trading company in Dubai that caters to the primary needs of the oil and gas, drilling and exploration, refinery, petrochemical, steel, aluminum and the infrastructure industry. The wide varieties of products they supply include chemicals, equipments and industrial greases and lubricants catering to the cement industries in Dubai and the world over. To know more about Global Trust Enterprises kindly visit them at www.globaltrustenterprises.com

Image Credit: hubpages.com