Electricity in the Portland cement industry

There are probably many persons who can recall the time when Portland cement was considered to be a luxury in building all but the finest and greatest structures, owing to its high cost, and to a certain extent, to the uncertainty of the quality of the product. During the last twelve years those connected with the industry have been working hard on improvements in the methods of manufacture, and the improvement in quality and reduction in price speedily led to a great increase in the consumption of cement. These improvements were rendered possible by the introduction of the rotary kiln, and also by improvements in the grinding of refractory materials, which have had a much more serious study during that period than at any time previously; improvements in conveying machinery have also had not a little to do with the economical manufacture of Portland cement.