According to the Portland Cement Association, British stonemason Joesph Aspin is credited with mixing up the first batch of cement in his kitchen in 1824. He found that mixing ground-up quarried limestone, shells or chalk, shale,, clay, and sand or iron ore, and heating the mixture in giant rotating kilns at 3000 degrees Fahrenheit, produced cement pellets. When ground up, these pellets produced the fine, gray powder we recognize as cement.
There are actually eight types of Portland cement, each with slightly different qualities. As for concrete, it is a mixture of cement, gravel, stone (aggregates), and sand, and water, which together create a solid mass.
Are you planning a project that involves concrete or cement? Are you certain you know which one to use? If you have any questions about which material is best for your DIY project, you need to talk to one of our expert staff members.
HINT: Mortar consists of sand, cement, and sometimes other ingredients such as lime.
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