The document discusses the manufacture and properties of cement. There are two main processes for cement production - the dry process and wet process. In the dry process, raw materials are ground, dried, blended and fed into a kiln to form clinker. This process uses less water and energy than the wet process. The major chemical compounds in cement are tricalcium silicate, dicalcium silicate, tricalcium aluminate and tetracalcium aluminoferrite. Hydration reactions of these compounds produce strength-giving calcium silicate hydrates and calcium hydroxide. The type and proportions of compounds affect properties like strength development and heat evolution.