Cement
The industry that produces the binding material used in concrete for construction; a long-standing buyer of blast-furnace-type slag as a raw material substitute.
Covered in 1 MetalsCost.com News Intelligence article, most recently on August 29, 2026.
Overview
Cement is made by heating limestone and clay-like materials in a kiln to around 1450°C to form clinker, then grinding it with a small amount of gypsum. Mixed with water, sand and aggregate it becomes concrete, the most-used manufactured material on Earth. Global production reached an estimated 3.8 billion tonnes in 2025, with China accounting for roughly 1.7 billion tonnes. Because clinker production requires both high kiln temperatures and the chemical breakdown of limestone, the industry is responsible for an estimated 7-8% of global carbon emissions.
Its Iron Industry Link
Cement's connection to this site's tracked metals runs through iron: ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS), a glassy byproduct formed when molten slag from iron smelting is rapidly quenched, is ground into a supplementary cementitious material that can replace 35-65% of the Portland clinker in a blended cement. It lowers both cost and CO2 footprint, which is why cement plants near steelworks have used it as a raw-material substitute for well over a century.
Sources
- Global cement production ~3.8 billion tonnes in 2025 — Cement production global 2025 (2025)
- Cement industry ~7-8% share of global CO2 emissions — Cement industry emissions worldwide (2025)
