By Agbazue, Vitus E.
Representative samples of raw materials and
finished products from three Nigerian C e m e n t Companies -
Calabar Cement Company, Calabar, t h e Nigerian Cement
Company, Nkalagu and Benue Cement Company, Gbolto - and
one foreign made cement, Eagle Cement were t e s t e d
according t o the Nigerian Indust r i a l Standards (NIS)
f o r chemical and physical properties.
The raw materials, manufacturing technology and
process conditions f o r the Nigerian Cement Companies
were studied t o appraise how these have affected the
product quality. 'Test r e s u l t s of the finished products
were compared with one another, t o establish t h e i r extent
of co~f lpl iancew i th t h e cur r ent Niger ian Sa n d a r d
Specification on cement.
From the t e s t data obtained it was found t h a t a l l
t h e cement companies studied used suitable raw materials
f o r cement production. Furthermore, finished product
analysis showed t h a t three of the four brands t e s t e d
f u l l y complied with the Nigerian Specification f o r
Ordinary ~ o r t l a n dC ement (OPC) . The f o m h brand
displayed unsoundness in the form of expansion phenomenan
a t t r i b u t e d t o unf avourable process /quality control
factors.