Ordinary Portland Cement

Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) is manufactured in the form of different grades, the most common in India being Grade-53, Grade-43, and Grade-33. OPC is manufactured by burning siliceous materials like limestone at 1400 degree Celsius and thereafter grinding it with gypsum.

Tata Chemicals Limited is a major producer of OPC Grade 43 and 53. The value of each of these grades of cement has been briefly mentioned below:

• Ordinary Portland Cement-Grade 43: Having been certified with IS 8112:1989 standards, Grade 43 is in high demand in India and is largely used for residential, commercial, and other building construction purposes. It has a compressive strength of 560 kg per square cm. Today OPC 43 is most widely available in Gujarat through an extensive distribution network.


• Ordinary Portland Cement-Grade 53: Having been certified with IS12269:1987 standards, Grade 53 is known for its rich quality and is highly durable. Hence it is used for constructing bigger structures like building foundations, bridges, tall buildings, and structures designed to withstand heavy pressure. Expert opinions and directions from technicians and engineers are a must in this regard. With a good distribution network this cement is available most abundantly in Gujarat.

As such, Ordinary Portland Cement is used for quite a wide range of applications. Some of the Ordinary Portland applications are in pre-stressed concrete, dry-lean mixes, durable pre-cast concrete, and ready mixes for general purposes. The chemical components of Ordinary Portland Cement are Magnesium (MgO), Alumina (AL2O3), Silica (SiO2), Iron (Fe2O3), and Sulphur trioxide (SO3).

Some of the big names involved in OPC manufacture are Tata Chemicals, Ultratech Cement, and ACC cement. Ordinary Portland Cement is in great demand in India and will continue to be used in Indian infrastructural upgradation and other constructions.

Last Updated on June 27, 2015