What gypsum is used in cement plants? Analyze the application of industrial by-product gypsum and natural gypsum
In recent years, with the tightening of environmental protection policies and the promotion of resource utilization of industrial solid waste, the choice of gypsum used in cement production has become a hot topic in the industry. This article will combine the popular discussions on the Internet in the past 10 days, analyze the types of gypsum commonly used in cement plants and their advantages and disadvantages, and provide structured data comparison.
1. Main types of gypsum used in cement plants

In cement production, gypsum is mainly used as a retarder to adjust the cement setting time. Currently, the commonly used gypsum is divided into two categories:
| Type | Source | Main ingredients |
|---|---|---|
| natural gypsum | Mining | CaSO4·2H2O (gypsum dihydrate) |
| Industrial by-product gypsum | Industrial production by-products | Phosphogypsum, desulfurized gypsum, titanium gypsum, etc. |
2. Detailed comparison of various types of gypsum
The following is a comparison of the performance and economics of gypsum commonly used in cement plants:
| indicator | natural gypsum | Phosphogypsum | Desulfurized gypsum |
|---|---|---|---|
| SO3 content | ≥42% | 40-45% | 38-42% |
| Moisture content | ≤5% | 10-25% | 10-15% |
| Impurity content | low | Contains P2O5, F, etc. | Contains Cl-etc. |
| Unit price (yuan/ton) | 150-250 | 30-80 | 50-100 |
| Environmental protection | Mines to be mined | Solid waste recycling | Solid waste recycling |
3. Application trends of industrial by-product gypsum
According to recent industry discussions, the application of industrial by-product gypsum in the cement industry shows the following trends:
1.Desulfurization gypsum usage continues to grow:With the completion of the ultra-low emission transformation of the power industry, the output of desulfurization gypsum is expected to reach 120 million tons in 2023, and the consumption ratio of the cement industry will increase to 35%.
2.Phosphogypsum consumption policy promotes:Hubei, Guizhou and other major phosphorus chemical industry provinces have issued policies requiring cement plants to use phosphogypsum in proportion. Some companies have used phosphogypsum at a proportion of 8-12%.
3.Advances in preprocessing technology:Recently, many companies have successfully developed new technologies such as low-temperature drying and impurity removal, which have reduced the moisture content of industrial by-product gypsum to less than 8%, greatly improving the applicability.
4. Key factors for choosing gypsum for cement plants
Based on recent industry practice, cement plants need to consider the following factors when choosing gypsum:
| Considerations | weight | Description |
|---|---|---|
| cost | 40% | Industrial by-product gypsum can reduce costs by 30-70% |
| supply stability | 25% | Need to ensure long-term stable supply |
| quality consistency | 20% | Affects cement performance stability |
| Environmental compliance | 15% | Must comply with solid waste utilization policy requirements |
5. Future Outlook
According to recent industry seminars, cement gypsum will show the following developments in the next five years:
1.The proportion of industrial by-product gypsum will exceed 60%:Under the "double carbon" goal, the utilization rate of industrial by-product gypsum in the cement industry is expected to increase from the current 45% to more than 60% in 2025.
2.Accelerate the establishment of standardization system:The China Building Materials Federation is developing a group standard for "Industrial By-Product Gypsum for Cement", which is expected to be released in 2024.
3.Popularization of intelligent distribution systems:Leading companies such as Conch and Huaxin have begun to apply AI distribution systems to achieve precise deployment of multi-source gypsum.
Conclusion: The selection of gypsum in cement plants has changed from a purely technical decision to a strategic choice that comprehensively considers economic, environmental and social benefits. With the advancement of technology and improvement of policies, industrial by-product gypsum will become the mainstream choice, but natural gypsum is still irreplaceable in some special varieties of cement.
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