Cement
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In the most general sense of the word, cement is a
binder, a substance which sets and hardens
independently, and can bind other materials together.
The name "cement" goes back to the Romans who used
the term "opus caementitium" to describe masonry
which resembled concrete and was made from crushed
rock with burnt lime as binder. The volcanic ash and
pulverized brick additives which were added to the burnt
lime to obtain a hydraulic binder were later referred to
as cementum, cimentum, cäment and cement. Cements
used in construction are characterized as hydraulic or
non-hydraulic.
