According to the latest report from DANE, grey cement production in Colombia increased by 3% y/y in 2013 to reach 11.3 million t. Domestic cement sales reached almost 10.87 million t, 3.5% higher than in 2012. Cement dispatches experienced growth in 13 of the 21 districts analysed by DANE.
In December 2013 alone, cement production rose by 7.3% y/y and grey cement sales on the national market were up 8.9% y/y. On a regional basis, the biggest increases in sales volumes occurred in Antioquia, Cundinamarca, North Santander, Caldas and Magdalena, where dispatches grew by 20.4%, 13.5%, 28.1%, 29.9% and 32.7%, respectively. However, in Córdoba, sales were down by 34.3%.
Juan Guillermo Morales, Claudia Rodriguez, Carolina Giraldo and Ruby Estela Cardona, Research and Development Department, Cementos Argos S.A., discuss XRD and XRF’s role in the development and improvement of new cementitious products.