Cement Makers Eye Recycled Gypsum

A representative from the Portland Cement Association (PCA), Skokie, Ill, says the industry is still looking at the use of recycled gypsum in cement production. “We have to make sure the formulations will work and that the quality of our product will be maintained,” says Lionel LeMay of the PCA.

LeMay addressed the use of gypsum during a press conference held by the PCA at the U.S. Green Building Council’s annual exposition, held in Pittsburgh in mid-November.

Cement formulations were the main subject of the event, as PCA announced that the cement industry was working to change its ASTM-controlled formulation to allow as much as 5 percent ground limestone in its final product. This will allow the industry to cut back by an equal percentage the amount of material it needs to send through its kilns, saving on energy and greenhouse gas emissions.