Raw meal is a finely ground mixture of calcareous and clay-containing raw materials that serves as the starting material for the production of cement clinker. It is one of the most important intermediate products in cement production.

The chemical composition of raw meal significantly influences the quality of the resulting clinker and, consequently, the properties of the finished cement. For this reason, raw meal samples are continuously analyzed and monitored.

Typical components of the raw meal include limestone, clay, marl, iron ore, and modifying agents. After processing, the materials are homogenized and fed into the rotary kiln.

For efficient process control, the concentrations of key oxides such as calcium oxide (CaO), silicon dioxide (SiO₂), aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃), and iron oxide (Fe₂O₃) must be determined regularly. XRF analyses and PGNAA systems are frequently used for this purpose.

HERZOG offers integrated solutions for the automatic sampling, sample preparation, and analysis of raw meal. With the Rawmix Control Module from PrepMaster Analytics, the analysis data can be automatically evaluated and used to calculate the optimal raw meal composition. Based on defined quality metrics such as LSF, SR, and AR, the module supports the continuous optimization of the raw meal mixing ratio, thereby contributing to stable clinker quality, efficient kiln operation, and reduced energy and raw material consumption.