EXPERIENCE WITH BURNING HIGH-VISCOSITY, HIGH SEDIMENT PETROLEUM OIL FRACTIONS

Fuel costs play a major role nowadays in the economy of cement manufacture. The advances in process engineering have brought a drastic reduction in the specific heat consumption in modern cement works. In view of the highly competitive market every cement manufacturer makes continuous efforts to reduce fuel costs. So-called replacement-fuels, such as old car tyres, petroleum coke or waste oil, are now being used in many parts of the world. The Gulf Cement Company has, for some years and with great success, been, burning a particularly highly viscose, high sediment, crude petroleum fraction in its modern kiln line with a nominal yearly capacity of 1.0 million tonnes of clinker. No use had been made of this petroleum oil fraction for decades. A report is given below of the experience gained with the unusual fuel which is now used as the sole main fuel both for firing the kiln and for supplying the four calciner burners.