Construction is a big and important industry worldwide. It creates residential projects that allow you to live with your loved ones, commercial spaces that facilitate business, and civil structures that contribute to your overall living experience. Construction has a few core elements without which it is impossible. Building material is one of these core elements. Many building materials are required for a construction project.  

Cement is one of the most important building materials. It is a binding agent used to make concrete and mortar, which means cement essentially helps form the foundation on which your structure can be built. Cement is available in several types: Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC), and Portland Slag Cement (PSC).  

PPC cement and PSC are commonly compared. Let us explain the difference between the two and help you source a suitable cement for your construction requirements.  

Production  

PPC is a blended cement produced by mixing Portland Clinker with Pozzolana Particles and gypsum. The Pozzolana particles can be natural or artificial. PSC is also a blended cement. It is produced by replacing some proportion of OPC with Granulated Blasted Furnace Slag, which is a non-metallic by-product of smelting ores.  

Fineness  

Fineness is the cement’s particle size, which impacts its coverage and heat of hydration. PPC cement has a fineness of 300 m2/ Kg, while PSC has a fineness of 225 m2/ Kg. This indicates both cements have incredible fineness. PSC is a good choice if you want a cement with the lowest fineness.  

Soundness  

Soundness means the change in the cement’s volume after it sets and hardens. You should consider the cement’s soundness as it impacts the structure's reliability. Ideally, avoid opting for cement with a higher soundness as it leads to crack development, compromising your structure’s integrity.  

PPC and PSC both have a soundness of not more than 10mm. This indicates that both cements are incredible building materials for any construction project.  

Setting time  

Setting time is the time it takes the cement to lose its plasticity and become solid. It can be classified into two-time frames: initial and final setting time. Initial setting time is the duration the cement takes to start losing its plasticity when mixed with water. The final setting time is the time the cement takes to completely lose its plasticity when mixed with water.  

PPC has an initial setting time of 30 minutes and a final setting time of 600 minutes, and the same goes for PSC. This means you can source either of the cement to build your structure within your desired timeline.  

Pricing  

The pricing of PPC and PSC differs depending on the cement company from which you choose to source it. Contact the company's sales representative to get the best PPC and PSC cement price quote and source one that meets your construction requirements and is within your budget.