Portland cement was invented in 1824 and is made by heating limestone and clay in a kiln. It is the most common type of cement used worldwide in concrete construction. The manufacturing process involves quarrying raw materials, crushing, blending, burning in a kiln at high temperatures, cooling and grinding to a fine powder. The chemical reactions that occur create clinker which is then ground and mixed with gypsum. There are various types of Portland cement used for different applications depending on strength, setting time, or sulfate resistance requirements.