Abstract
The cement industry has been required to reduce energy consumption to help control global worming. Recently, our Yokoze plant introduced a high-efficiency clinker cooler for better heat recovery. This high-efficiency clinker cooler increased the heat recovery rate by 13％ and decreased kiln heat consumption by 8％ compare to a conventional clinker cooler. However, this higher cooling rate might affect clinker quality and cement performance. This study evaluated the cooling rate of the clinker and investigated the influence on the cement quality before and after introducing the clinker cooler. The cooling rate at 1300℃ was estimated from the b-axis lattice parameter of the ferrite phase in the clinker determined by Rietveld method of powder X-ray diffraction. The clinker cooling rate was found to increase 300℃/min to 400℃/min（by 150℃）, and this increase had little effect on cement quality before and after the high-efficiency clinker cooler was introduced.
