Learning is not compulsory; it's voluntary. Improvement is not compulsory; it's voluntary. But to survive, we must learn and improve.

Recently, the 16th NCB international seminar on Cement, Concrete and Building Materials during December 3-6, 2019 at Zorawar Auditorium, Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi was successfully organised under the leadership of Dr BN Mohapatra.

Giving a brief introduction on the topic, Banerjee said, "Over 195 countries agreed in 2015 to keep global temperature within 2 degree Celsius by 2100.

Consolidation in the cement industry drew a lot of attention in the recent past. After the new Government took over in 2014, the industry expected healthier growth, however, the same is yet to be realised.

Given the slowing demand, sluggish pricing, and upward pressure on RM prices, cement companies will be under tremendous pressure to achieve and meet their financial targets and goals

Gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O) is used widely in various industries either as gypsum, i.e., the gypsum di-hydrate crystalline variety or as the gypsum hemi hydrates, also known as plaster of Paris (POP) or bassinite mineral.

And, coal is the most important of them all. Of all the minerals that are processed in manufacturing cement, namely limestone, coal, gypsum, iron ore and other minor mineral additives, why do we single out coal for this pre-eminent position? One would think that limestone, being the primary raw material ingredient of clinker, would occupy that coveted rank.

We have been dealing in refractories and castables since 1982 and have supplied high alumina refractories, basic refractories, castables and insulation bricks to most of the cement and steel plants in India, the Middle East, Nigeria and various other countries of Africa.

If we split the waste into segments, the largest segment is that of agricultural waste. So, the number one biomass is paddy husk and biomass that is available in agricultural residue.