Improved Prediction of Oxide Content in Cement Raw Meal by Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Using Sequential Preprocessing through Orthogonalization (SPORT)

Abstract

Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is a nondestructive technique extensively employed in various fields. Despite its advantages, near-infrared spectroscopy still faces significant challenges due to the intricate physical and chemical phenomena that arise from the interaction between light and matter. This interaction typically results in light absorption and scattering, leading to the NIR signal containing comprehensive information about these phenomena’s interactions. Accurate determination of ${\mathrm{\text{CaCO}}}_3,$ $\mathrm{ }{\mathrm{\text{SiO}}}_2,$ ${\text{Fe}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_3$ and ${\mathrm{\text{Al}}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_3$ in cement raw meal requires minimizing scattering effects from the spectrum, but selecting an appropriate pretreatment technique is often challenging. In this paper, we enhance the predictive ability of NIRS for determining the four oxides in cement raw meal by implementing sequential preprocessing through orthogonalization (SPORT). The SPORT method uses sequential orthogonal partial least squares (SO-PLS) to integrate data blocks obtained from different preprocessing techniques. We compare our method with conventional pretreatment methods for determining the content of four oxides in raw materials of cement using near-infrared spectroscopy. The results suggest that the SPORT method exhibits commendable calibration performance and distinctive characteristics. Moreover, SPORT demonstrates significant preprocessing selectivity, making it effective in addressing the challenges associated with complex interactions in near-infrared spectral analysis. In conclusion, the utilization of SPORT sequential pretreatment in near-infrared spectroscopy shows promising results for enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of determining oxide content in raw materials of cement. The findings of this study help promote the application of near-infrared spectroscopy in the cement industry, especially quality control. Further exploration of the SPORT method’s potential in other materials analysis fields may open new avenues for nondestructive techniques in various scientific disciplines.

Keywords:

• Cement raw meal
• oxide determination
• sequential and orthogonalized partial least squares (SO-PLS)
• sequential preprocessing through orthogonalization (SPORT)

Disclosure statement

The author states that they have no known competition economic benefits or personal relationships that influenced the work reported in this article.

Data availability statement

The datasets generated or analyzed during the current study are available in the figshare repository: http://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.23997459.

Additional information

Funding

This work was founded by the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province, China [ZR2021QF135], Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province [ZR202102180057], the Double Innovation Doctor of Jiangsu Province [grant number JSSCBS20220698], the Basic Science (Natural Science) Research General Projects in Higher Education Institutions of Jiangsu Province [grant number: 23KJB130007], and the ‘Young Innovation Team Program’ of Shandong Provincial University [No. 2022KJ250].