Color control:
The gray of cement

Interview with Dr. Peter Boos, director of Heidel­berg
Cement’s central laboratory in Ennigerloh, Germany

 

Why is cement gray?

Dr. Peter Boos: This is actually based on the question of why materials have a color. The ans­wer is because they reflect and absorb different degrees of light. If a material completely ab­sorbs light, it appears black; if it reflects all of the light, it appears white. If it only absorbs or reflects certain wavelengthsof light, it appearscolored. The gray of cement sits between the two extremes of white and black.

 

Where does the gray come from?

Cement essentially consists...

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