Solar Belite Concrete

Step	Process	Input Material	Local Source (Maysville region)	Output	Notes
1	Quarrying	Limestone (CaCO₃)	Local limestone quarry	Raw limestone rock	Also used later as aggregate
2	Sand sourcing	Silica sand (SiO₂)	Local sand/gravel pit	Raw sand	Must be quartz-rich
3	Coarse crushing	Limestone + sand	On-site	Crushed rock (≤1")	Skid steer crusher sufficient
4	Fine grinding (raw meal)	Crushed limestone + sand	On-site	Fine powder (“raw meal”)	Critical for reaction
5	Blending	Raw meal	On-site	Homogeneous mix	Target CaO:SiO₂ ≈ 2:1
6	Pelletizing	Raw meal	On-site	Pellets/nodules	Improves kiln efficiency
7	Kiln firing	Pellets	Electric kiln	Belite clinker (C₂S) + CO₂	1,250–1,350°C
8	Clinker cooling	Hot clinker	On-site	Cooled clinker	Preserve belite phase
9	Finish grinding	Clinker	On-site	Belite cement powder	Cement-like fineness
10	Aggregate production	Limestone	Quarry + crusher	Gravel + sand	For concrete mix
11	Concrete batching	Cement + aggregate + water	On-site	Fresh concrete	w/b ≈ 0.40–0.47
12	Placement	Fresh concrete	Construction site	Structural element	Foundations, slabs, walls
13	Moist curing	Water	On-site	Hardened concrete	28–56 day strength development

Plant

System	Equipment (Open / DIY)	Function	Capacity Basis	Estimated Cost (USD)
Feed handling	Loader + bins	Material staging	5 t/day	$10k–$40k
Coarse crushing	Skid steer crusher / crusher bucket	Reduce rock to <1"	5 tph intermittent	$5k–$30k
Raw grinding	Hammer mill + small ball mill	Produce fine raw meal	~200–300 kg/hr	$20k–$100k
Drying	Solar/electric dryer	Remove moisture	batch	$5k–$30k
Blending	Concrete mixer / ribbon mixer	Homogenize raw meal	batch	$5k–$25k
Pelletizing	Disc pelletizer (DIY)	Form kiln feed pellets	~200 kg/hr	$5k–$25k
Electric kiln	DIY rotary or shaft kiln (refractory lined)	Form belite clinker	5 t/day	$50k–$300k
Clinker cooling	Air-cooled drum / grate	Cool clinker	continuous	$5k–$30k
Finish grinding	Ball mill / vibration mill	Produce cement powder	~200 kg/hr	$20k–$100k
Cement storage	Silo / supersacks + auger	Store and dispense binder	batch	$10k–$50k
Aggregate processing	Crusher + screen	Produce gravel + sand	5–10 tph	$20k–$100k
Concrete batching	Skid mixer / volumetric mixer	Mix concrete	batch	$20k–$100k
Dust control	Cyclone + baghouse	Capture fine dust	plant-wide	$10k–$50k
QC lab	Compression tester, molds, scales	Strength testing	batch	$10k–$50k
Electrical + controls	Wiring, heaters, VFDs	Power + control	plant-wide	$20k–$100k
Site works	Pads, sheds, roads	Physical setup	plant-wide	$50k–$200k
Total Estimated Capital (OSE-built)				$250k–$750k