Difference between PPC Cement and OPC Cement

There are various types of cement used for construction of various types of buildings, here we will learn the major difference between PPC Cement and OPC Cement.

Cement is an adhesive used to bind sand and aggregates to make concrete the most versatile of construction materials, it is made by mixing calcium, silicon, aluminum, iron and other ingredients.

PPC Cement vs OPC Cement:

PPC Cement:

PPC Cement Portland stands for Pozzolana Portland Cement, pozzolana is a complementary cement material used to improve the strength and durability of cement.

The word pozzolana comes from the word ‘pozzoluana’, a form of volcanic ash.

Volcanic ash is the first form of pozzolana used in PPC cement contains natural, artificial fibrous and aluminous materials such as clay, lava, silica fume, fly ash and shale.

Thesed materials are industrial surplus byproducts waste residues generated from other processes but are ideal in the production of PPC cement.

Pozzolana as a material is an artificial material that holds silica in its reactive form with 20–35% of pozzolanic content, PPC also includes Portland OPC clinker (65–70%) and gypsum.

Dalmia Cement is a nationwide large-scale manufacturer of PPC cement used in both residential and institutional construction.

OPC Cement:

OPC Cement stands for ordinary Portland cement, it is the most widely used in the world mainly used in the construction of high-rise buildings, the OPC cement takes less time to set and harden.

In India, Dalmia OPC cement is the most popular option for large scale construction.

OPC cement is made by adding limestone, gypsum and different raw like argillaceous, calcareous materials.

As a result of easy availability of the raw materials required for the manufacturing of Portland cement, OPC might be manufactured on a big scale wherever there is availability of minerals such as limestone.

It is the most popular choice of cement worldwide due to its versatility as a major binding material and its production cost is comparatively low.

OPC cement is one of the most used materials in concrete for construction of dams, roads, tall buildings, flyovers, bridges, residential houses etc.

It is available in three grades based on its strength and durability, i.e. OPC 33, OPC 43 & OPC 53.

These above grades indicate the maximum-minimum strength of cement after 28 days.

Also read: Difference between 33 43 and 53 Grades of Cement

Difference between PPC Cement and OPC Cement:

OPC and PPC Cements are differentiated in the following criteria mentioned below:

Aspect	OPC Cement	PCC Cement
Fineness	The fineness of OPC is at least 225 square meters per kg which are lower than PPC.	While the fineness of PPC is at least 300 square meters per kg which is higher than OPC.
Components	OPC cement is made by adding limestone, gypsum and other raw like argillaceous, calcareous materials.	PPC Cement is prepared by adding Pozzolanic materials to OPC Cement.
Strength	The preliminary strength of OPC is larger than PPC, however for a longer period of time.	The strength of PPC is larger.
Setting time	The ultimate setting time of OPC Cement is relatively lower than PPC Cement, which makes it effective in construction.	PPC Cement has a higher setting time.
Costs	OPC Cement is costlier as compared to PPC Cement.	PCC Cement has less cost.
Durability	OPC Cement is much less durable in aggressive weather.	PPC Cement is more durable in aggressive weather.
Heat of Hydration	OPC generates more heat during hydration reactions making it unsuitable for mass casting.	While PPC has a slow hydration process due to which heat generation is comparatively lower.

Also read: Difference between Concrete and Cement

Conclusion:

Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC) differ mainly in their composition and ultimately affect their applicability.