Sumitomo Cement Co., Ltd.

Masatoshi Onodera

Norio Yokota

Shusuke Harada

Akihiko Miyauchi

Takahiko Yoshimura

The present invention is directed to a spheroidal particulate inorganic material of an inorganic particulate material such as spheroidal cement or slag whose respective particles are of a substantially spheroidal shape and have smooth surfaces having improved flowability and filling properties. The spheroidal particulate material is produced by subjecting the respective particles of the particulate inorganic material to a high temperature flame treatment and rapid cooling in air, or by dispersing fine particles of the inorganic material and an organic or inorganic binder in a non-aqueous solvent to form a slurry and granulating the slurry. Compositions containing the spheroidal particulate inorganic material are used in civil engineering works and construction. To improve energetic efficiency in the production of the spheroidal particulate inorganic material, particularly spheroidal cement or slag, an apparatus is used which is a retention furnace for retaining a molten liquid inorganic material, a nozzle assembly communicated to the retention furnace and capable of scattering therethrough the molten liquid inorganic material, a jet gas for entraining the molten inorganic material introduced in the nozzle assembly and scattering the molten inorganic material to cool it, and gas spray means for spraying the jet gas.

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Narashino, Japan

Masatoshi Onodera