Automated Blaine Apparatus – BlaineGen Plus

The Blaine apparatus must comply with AASHTO T153 and ASTM C204.

According to IS: 3031 (Part I), 1996, good quality cement must have a fineness value smaller than 10% of the weight of cement particles that are bigger than 90 microns.

For one, Portland cement is among the lowest-cost materials and most widely preferred for use over the past century. This is because the materials used to produce Portland cement including shales, limestone, and various other naturally occurring materials are cheap and widely available. the concrete produced by Portland cement is among the most versatile construction materials in the world.

A common type of cement for general use, Portland cement is the most widely-used basic ingredient in concrete, stucco, mortar, and non-specialty grout all over the world.

Both the automatic and semi-automatic Blaine apparatus versions offer better precision and more accuracy than those offered by the manual iteration of the Blaine apparatus. A cement sample reference like the NIST 114q is used to calibrate the unit. To get the most accurate results possible, the test must be done in an environment with a controlled temperature.

The air-permeability Blaine apparatus is primarily a means to draw a specific amount of air through a ready cement bed with definite porosity. It works by drawing in a specific amount of air through a cement bed with a definitive porosity measurement. The size and number of pores in a pre-set bed with an absolute porosity value. It is a particle size function and determines the airflow rate through the bed. The procedure is outlined as Method A in ASTM C204 and AASHTO T153.

Typically expressed in sq² /g of surface area, there are 2 kinds of Blaine apparatus testing methods: test methods A and B. Test method A, the reference test method, involves the manual operation of the standard Blaine apparatus. On the other hand, Test method B allows using an automated apparatus that has proven the ability to come up with acceptable performance.

The fluid called MA13 Blaine Air Permeability Manometer is a non-mercury fluid indicator (red spirit) used together with the MA10 Blaine Air Permeability Apparatus to determine the Portland cement fineness. 8 oz or 240 ml bottles are available as refills. Features include its use for testing based on standards set by the ASTM and AASHTo.

A Blaine number is the surface area-based parameter that is quantified with the use of the air permeability method. The technique is well-established in the cement industry. However, it has several widely recognized and important limitations. These include 2 types of cement of the same Blaine number exhibiting different characteristics in terms of performance.

Measuring cement fineness involves filtering the material on standard strainers. This way, you determine the cement proportion where the grain size is bigger than the specified size of the mesh. The cement fineness measurement is expressed as a specific surface. A bigger specific surface means finer cement will be produced.

Determining the Portland cement fineness value involves using the Blaine Air Permeability Apparatus. It measures the particular fine materials' surface area in sq² cm / g of the test sample. With the use of the apparatus, an amount of air is drawn via a bed with pre-defined porosity.

Measuring the fineness value of Portland cement involves the use of the Blaine Fineness Apparatus. The test is performed according to standards set by the AASHTO and ASTM. The fineness measurement is based on the specific cement area, which is expressed as the total surface area in cm² / g (square centimeters per gram).

The average Blaine fineness value in modern cement varies anywhere between 3,000 and 5,000 cm² / g (or 300 – 500 m²/kg). The company says that the vertical roller mills housed in the complex make achieving the maximum disintegration level possible by grinding down the material down to 4,500 - 6,000 Blaine fineness. This ensures the hardening rate and cement strength.

BlaineGen PLUS, Automatic Blaine Apparatus, perfectly meets the standard EN 196-6 and ASTM C 204. This essential, considering, most other systems do not comply with this criteria.

It is also important to note that the specimen dimensions are in accordance with the standard. The operator does not required to use bigger sample sizes than the standard bed of cement.

Accuracy and repeatability combined with exceptional user-friendly interface is what gives the end user the ultimate advantage with the Automatic Blaine system.

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• The automatic system has much better repeatability and precision due to the human error factor elimination during the measurement process.
• The automatic system offers automatic calculation of the specific surface of cement.
• After placing the cement sample in the apparatus, our TEST PROCEDURE is much easier, user-friendly and fully automatic. Due to the integrated touch screen panel (full colour) and intuitive software interface adapted to any user.
• The automatic system is a 100% stand-alone equipment. Is not mandatory to use a PC for handling and tests storage in the memory.
• The automatic Blaine system can be connected to a PC for management through WinPerm64 software, export and integration with other applications.
• The results after the automatic calculations are displayed on the screen.
• Automatic recalibration process of the apparatus, guided process as defined by the testing standards.
• Temperature sensor is included in the system and it tells you if the temperature is correct for the test.
• The automatic Blaine apparatus has 4 Optical Switches for an accurate liquid detection. In every test the BlaineGen PLUS verifies the correct level of the manometer liquid.
• Auto adjustment of compressor flow to adapt to the different conditions of atmospheric pressure.

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