EP3844122A2 - Wear resistant concrete formulations and methods for their preparation - Google Patents
Wear resistant concrete formulations and methods for their preparationInfo
- Publication number
- EP3844122A2 EP3844122A2 EP19853955.3A EP19853955A EP3844122A2 EP 3844122 A2 EP3844122 A2 EP 3844122A2 EP 19853955 A EP19853955 A EP 19853955A EP 3844122 A2 EP3844122 A2 EP 3844122A2
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- range
- mix
- water
- concrete
- silica
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Pending
Links
Classifications
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- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C04—CEMENTS; CONCRETE; ARTIFICIAL STONE; CERAMICS; REFRACTORIES
- C04B—LIME, MAGNESIA; SLAG; CEMENTS; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDING MATERIALS; ARTIFICIAL STONE; CERAMICS; REFRACTORIES; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE
- C04B40/00—Processes, in general, for influencing or modifying the properties of mortars, concrete or artificial stone compositions, e.g. their setting or hardening ability
- C04B40/0028—Aspects relating to the mixing step of the mortar preparation
- C04B40/0032—Controlling the process of mixing, e.g. adding ingredients in a quantity depending on a measured or desired value
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- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C04—CEMENTS; CONCRETE; ARTIFICIAL STONE; CERAMICS; REFRACTORIES
- C04B—LIME, MAGNESIA; SLAG; CEMENTS; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDING MATERIALS; ARTIFICIAL STONE; CERAMICS; REFRACTORIES; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE
- C04B14/00—Use of inorganic materials as fillers, e.g. pigments, for mortars, concrete or artificial stone; Treatment of inorganic materials specially adapted to enhance their filling properties in mortars, concrete or artificial stone
- C04B14/02—Granular materials, e.g. microballoons
- C04B14/04—Silica-rich materials; Silicates
- C04B14/06—Quartz; Sand
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- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C04—CEMENTS; CONCRETE; ARTIFICIAL STONE; CERAMICS; REFRACTORIES
- C04B—LIME, MAGNESIA; SLAG; CEMENTS; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDING MATERIALS; ARTIFICIAL STONE; CERAMICS; REFRACTORIES; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE
- C04B14/00—Use of inorganic materials as fillers, e.g. pigments, for mortars, concrete or artificial stone; Treatment of inorganic materials specially adapted to enhance their filling properties in mortars, concrete or artificial stone
- C04B14/02—Granular materials, e.g. microballoons
- C04B14/04—Silica-rich materials; Silicates
- C04B14/06—Quartz; Sand
- C04B14/062—Microsilica, e.g. colloïdal silica
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- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C04—CEMENTS; CONCRETE; ARTIFICIAL STONE; CERAMICS; REFRACTORIES
- C04B—LIME, MAGNESIA; SLAG; CEMENTS; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDING MATERIALS; ARTIFICIAL STONE; CERAMICS; REFRACTORIES; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE
- C04B22/00—Use of inorganic materials as active ingredients for mortars, concrete or artificial stone, e.g. accelerators, shrinkage compensating agents
- C04B22/002—Water
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- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C04—CEMENTS; CONCRETE; ARTIFICIAL STONE; CERAMICS; REFRACTORIES
- C04B—LIME, MAGNESIA; SLAG; CEMENTS; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDING MATERIALS; ARTIFICIAL STONE; CERAMICS; REFRACTORIES; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE
- C04B28/00—Compositions of mortars, concrete or artificial stone, containing inorganic binders or the reaction product of an inorganic and an organic binder, e.g. polycarboxylate cements
- C04B28/02—Compositions of mortars, concrete or artificial stone, containing inorganic binders or the reaction product of an inorganic and an organic binder, e.g. polycarboxylate cements containing hydraulic cements other than calcium sulfates
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- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C04—CEMENTS; CONCRETE; ARTIFICIAL STONE; CERAMICS; REFRACTORIES
- C04B—LIME, MAGNESIA; SLAG; CEMENTS; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDING MATERIALS; ARTIFICIAL STONE; CERAMICS; REFRACTORIES; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE
- C04B2111/00—Mortars, concrete or artificial stone or mixtures to prepare them, characterised by specific function, property or use
- C04B2111/00034—Physico-chemical characteristics of the mixtures
- C04B2111/00068—Mortar or concrete mixtures with an unusual water/cement ratio
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C04—CEMENTS; CONCRETE; ARTIFICIAL STONE; CERAMICS; REFRACTORIES
- C04B—LIME, MAGNESIA; SLAG; CEMENTS; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDING MATERIALS; ARTIFICIAL STONE; CERAMICS; REFRACTORIES; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE
- C04B2111/00—Mortars, concrete or artificial stone or mixtures to prepare them, characterised by specific function, property or use
- C04B2111/20—Resistance against chemical, physical or biological attack
- C04B2111/2038—Resistance against physical degradation
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C04—CEMENTS; CONCRETE; ARTIFICIAL STONE; CERAMICS; REFRACTORIES
- C04B—LIME, MAGNESIA; SLAG; CEMENTS; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDING MATERIALS; ARTIFICIAL STONE; CERAMICS; REFRACTORIES; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE
- C04B2111/00—Mortars, concrete or artificial stone or mixtures to prepare them, characterised by specific function, property or use
- C04B2111/20—Resistance against chemical, physical or biological attack
- C04B2111/27—Water resistance, i.e. waterproof or water-repellent materials
Definitions
- Standard concretes i.e., not comprising the high-surface-area amorphous silica taught infra
- the low-silica concretes taught herein can have an ASTM C944 value is as low as 1.1 grams of loss or less.
- the concrete of the present invention generally exhibits a greatly reduced absorption of water-both during and after curing.
- the absorption of water during curing and/or after curing can be eliminated completely.
- the admixture comprises a compound commonly used to re-emulsify concrete.
- the concrete cutter has been used in the concrete industry to dissolve hardened (i.e., cured) concrete deposits from equipment used to prepare and work concrete, such as Readymixes, power trowels, and the like.
- a re-emulsifier which has the ability to destroy the structure (C-S-H matrix) of cured concrete, could be expected to thin the concrete mix, preventing curing, or negatively affecting the cured structure of the concrete by permitting the migration of water during curing.
- the concrete when used in conjunction with the silica as described infra, the concrete not only cures, but little or no bleed water is generally observed during curing of concrete of the present invention.
- the cured concrete has a better abrasion resistance than even the concrete prepared with the silica admixture alone, let alone traditional concretes.
- the high degree of water impermeability can be obtained without subjecting the concrete to a finishing step (See Example 2, for example, which describes the preparation of a footing which shows density and impermeability).
- the concrete of the present invention is particularly appropriate for outdoor concrete applications.
- concrete for outside use such as, for example, sidewalks, curbs, and parking lots, does not require extensive finishing, although some degree of floating may be performed.
- the small imperfections in the surface are generally allowed to remain, and eventually the surface weathers and renders the issue of imperfections moot.
- water damage during the life of the concrete is a problem with outside concrete.
- One countermeasure taken is the application of a cure and seal agent. The protection given by these agents is generally short-lived.
- Another countermeasure is the use of air-entrained concrete such that the damage done by absorbed water during freezing is minimized.
- neither measure is a long-term solution to the problem of freeze damage.
- cured concrete of the present invention generally has a negligible or no water absorption. No further finishing or sealant application is necessary. Furthermore, the concrete thus generally does not require the entrainment of air in order to resist freeze-thaw damage.
- the normal water absorption of outdoor cement according to the Rilum test is about 1 .5 to 3 ml in 20 minutes.
- the surfaces of the concrete of the present invention absorbed essentially no water, despite the lack of a finishing step.
- the Rilum test is expected to give an absorption in 20 minutes of from about 0 to about 1 .0 ml in 20 minutes.
- concretes of the present invention may not develop the surface imperfections and capillaries which are an issue with other concretes, or the inventive concretes may develop them to a greatly reduced degree.
- the surface which develops can be plastic-like (the extent of which can be controlled by details of the finishing process, as discussed infra) having a greatly reduced amount of friction with respect to the finishing blades, when compared to the finishing of standard concrete.
- Increased finishing speeds with respect to standard concrete finishing speeds generally further the achievement of a glossy surface having a plastic-like consistency.
- finishing concrete prepared by existing methods and formulations improves the smoothness and planarity of the surface, with longer finishing times giving greater improvement, to a point.
- Such concrete can be finished by hand or with a ride-on power trowel, with ride on power trowel generally giving a faster, more even, higher quality finish than a hand trowel.
- the concretes of the present invention generally finish faster (i.e., take a shorter time to reach a given degree of glossiness) and have a higher glossiness potential (as measured, for example, with a glossiness meter) with regard to the finishing process.
- the use of higher-than-conventional speeds can be expected to result in gains in glossiness beyond that possible with existing concretes.
- Such high finishing speeds are generally easier to use with the concretes of the present invention due to reduced friction.
- the admixture as indicated herein generally gives a concrete which requires less finishing effort to achieve a finished surface.
- the finisher can generally feel a difference in that the friction between the trowel or finishing blades, and the floor surface is generally significantly less than it would be without the admixture use of the present invention.
- the amount of time needed to finish a floor surface with a finishing machine to a given degree of glossiness is reduced for a given finishing machine speed (rpm).
- finishing speeds from about 190-210 rpm
- the surface can generally be finished to a higher gloss than traditional concrete surfaces.
- higher finishing speeds are not necessary, and thus, newer finishing machines are capable of lesser top speeds (180 rpm or 190 rpm) than older machines (200 rpm or 210 rpm).
- the heat of curing promotes a reaction between the high surface area amorphous silica and the components of the“re-emulsifier” admixture to form a plastic-like component throughout the concrete. Finishing at high speeds promotes this reaction at the surface, where heat dissipation may prevent the reaction from taking place to the degree in the concrete bulk.
- the formation of the plastic-like substance promoted by the heat generated by finishing at high finishing speeds (i.e., generally 200 rpm and above), gives the surface having an improved gloss with respect to that possible with traditional concretes.
- finishing of concrete surfaces can have an effect upon the water-impermeability of the slab.
- “Closing the slab,” i.e., finishing a slab using a technique involving the repetitive, directional application of finishing machinery, well-known in the art, is a method of finishing which can give a decrease in water permeability.
- Such methods can be applied to concretes of the present invention, however, the concretes of the present invention exhibit surprisingly high water impermeability, or even complete water impermeability even without a finishing step.
- the surfaces of the concrete of the present invention are generally harder than concrete of traditional methods and formulations.
- most concretes increase in hardness with curing times. For example, at about 28 days post-pour, most concretes prepared according to existing methods have a hardness in the range of from about 4 to about 5 with respect to the Mohs hardness scratch test. It is not unusual for the concretes of the present invention to achieve such a hardness after time lengths in the range of from about 3 to about 8 days (about 72 to about 192 hours) post-pour. After about 28 days, it is not unusual for concretes of the present invention to have a hardness in the range of from about 6 to about 9, or in many cases, to have a hardness in the range of from about 7 to about 8.
- Fig. 1 depicts a concrete slab containing 4 oz per hundred weight E5 Internal Cure, with E5 Finish used topically as a finish at rates of 1000 square feet per gallon. The burnishing process was initiated directly after the conclusion of the finishing step. Fig. 1 shows the undamaged surface, despite the 27-inch burnisher being run at 2500 rpm. While the photo is of the topically applied E5 Finish, the same result is obtained for admixture applications of E5 Finish, as indicated.
- Fig. 2 shows the conversion of the surface from approximately Grade 1 to approximately Grade 2. While the photo is of the topically applied E5 Finish, the same result is obtained for admixture applications of E5 Finish, as indicated.
- the admixture formulations which can be used in the present invention. While the invention disclosed in this provisional application refers to Korkay Concrete Dissolver (“Korkay”) of the formulation available for sale on March 20, 2017, from Tate’s Soaps and Surfactants, one of skill in the art will recognize that Korkay, and water dilutions thereof, are chemical formulations, and such chemical formulations can be prepared by various different sources and/or methods and be suitable for use in the present invention, in order to obtain the benefits of the present invention.
- the admixture composition comprises or consists essentially of a water dilution of Korkay.
- the admixture comprises or consists essentially of water; an alpha-hydroxy acid, a glycol alkyl ether, and a polyethylene glycol with an average molecular weight in the range of from about 500 to about 1500 mw.
- the alpha- hydroxy acid contains in the range of from about 5 to about 1 carbons, with glycolic acid preferred. Glycolic acid is available from Chemsolv.
- the glycol alkyl ether is preferably a polypropylene methyl ether, with dipropylene glycol methyl ether preferred. Dipropylene glycol methyl ether is available from many sources, for example, Dow Chemical, Lyondell Bassell, and Shell.
- the polyethylene glycol having an average molecular weight in the range of from about 500 to about 1500 molecular weight is preferably polyethylene glycol having an average molecular weight in the range of from about 750 to about 1250 molecular weight, and even more preferably in the range of from about 950 to about 1050 molecular weight.
- a suitable polyethylene glycol is PEG(1000).
- the alpha-hydroxy acid is preferably present in the admixture in the range of from about 5 to about 20 weight percent, with a weight percent in the range of from about 10 to about 15 weight percent more preferred.
- the weight percent of glycol alkyl ether is preferably in the range of from about 5 to about 20 weight percent, with a range of about 10 to about 15 weight percent more preferred.
- the weight percent of polyethylene glycol is preferably in the range of from about 1 to about 15 weight percent, with a ration in the range of from about 1 to about 9 weight percent more preferred.
- Water is present in the range of from about 70 to about 80 weight percent, with a range of about 71 to about 77 weight percent more preferred.
- the admixture comprises, consists or consists essentially of a water dilution of the following four part mixture:
- the dilution is preferably comprises, consists, or consists essentially of one part mixture to between about 4 and about 20 parts of water, with a more preferred dilution of between about 5 and about 12 parts water, with an even more preferred dilution being from about 6 to about 8 parts of water, with a range of from about 6.5 to about 7.5, or even from about 6.8 to about 7.2 being particularly suitable.
- the admixture to be added to the concrete mix comprises, consists or consists essentially of one part by weight Korkay to between about 4 and about 20 parts by weight of water, with a more preferred dilution of between about 5 and about 12 parts by weight water, with an even more preferred dilution being from about 6 to about 8 parts by weight of water.
- the E5 Finish formulation can be formed by creating a mixture which comprises about 7 parts water to about 1 part Korkay).
- the admixture comprises the E5 Finish formulation.
- E5 Finish greater than about 5 ounces of E5 Finish per 100 wt cementitious materials, or for amounts of amorphous silica greater than about 5 ounces per 100 wt cementitious materials, the observed benefits of the invention may begin to diminish in that increased brittleness and decreased compressive strength may, in some cases, be observed.
- amorphous silica or E5 Internal Cure
- Korkay or E5 Finish
- a change in the amount of amorphous silica away from about 4 ounces per hundredweight or in the amount of E5 Finish away from about 3 ounces per hundredweight gives some reduction in abrasion resistance, water impermeability and compressive strength.
- the formulations are generally employed as an admixture, and thus they are prepared in the prescribed proportions and added to a bulk concrete mixture, such as adding to a ReadyMix which contains a concrete mixture which comprises the small particle-size amorphous silica, such as the concrete mixtures described infra.
- a ReadyMix which contains a concrete mixture which comprises the small particle-size amorphous silica, such as the concrete mixtures described infra.
- Such admixture addition is most preferred.
- the separate addition of the components of the admixture may be permissible. For example, it may be permissible to add some or all of one or more of the water, glycolic acid, dipropylene glycol methyl ether or polyethylene glycol components to the concrete mixture, particularly after the mixture is fully mixed, before adding the balance of the admixture.
- the concrete mixture could be prepared with at least some of the water allocated to the admixture. It should be understood that in such a situation, in ascertaining the amounts of water in the concrete mixture and the admixture, the total amount of water should be considered as the sum of two subquantities: one which is within the limits of the total amount of water permitted for the concrete mixture, and the second within the total amount of water permitted for the admixture. Such separate addition of components may give some effect of the present invention.
- a mixture of components the mixture comprising an alpha-hydroxy acid, a glycol alkyl ether, a polyethylene glycol and water, is added to a Readymix which contains a mixed concrete mixture comprising amorphous silica, as described infra.
- the concrete mix comprises amorphous silica, which can be added as E5 Internal cure, if desired.
- the concrete mix comprises amorphous silica having particles with an average particle size of less than about 55 nm, and in some embodiments, an average particle size of less than about 7.8 nm, or, in other embodiments, an average particle size between about 5 and about 55 nm, or between about 5 and about 7.9 nm; and having a surface area in the range of from about 430 to about 900 m 2 /g; and present in the concrete in a weight ratio in the range of from about 0.1 to about 4 ounces amorphous silica per 100 lbs of cement (i.e., not including water, aggregate, sand or other additives).
- Amorphous silica from other sources may be suitable as long as it is characterizable by the particle size parameters above.
- suitable amorphous silica include colloidal silica, precipitated silica, silica gel and fumed silica, with colloidal silica or silica gel being preferred lt is more preferred to use particles with average particle size of less than about 25 nm, with average particle size of less than about 7.9 nm is even more preferred.
- a more preferred weight proportion in the concrete is from about 0.1 to about 3 ounces of amorphous silica per 100 lbs of cement (not including water, aggregate, sand or other additives).
- An even more preferred weight proportion in the concrete is from about 0.1 to about 1 ounces of amorphous silica per 100 lbs of cement (again, not including water, aggregate, sand or other additives).
- amorphous silicas with surface areas in the range of from about 50 to about 900 m 2 /gram are preferred, with about 150 to about 900 m 2 /gram more preferred, and about 400 to about 900 m 2 /gram even more preferred.
- Amorphous silica with an alkaline pH is preferred, with a pH in the range of from 8 to 1 1 being more preferred.
- the amorphous silica is provided by the use of E5 INTERNAL CURE, an additive available commercially from Specification Products LLC.
- the weight proportion of E5 INTERNAL CURE to cement is in the range of from about 1 to about 20 ounces of E5 INTERNAL CURE to 100 lbs cement (not including water, sand, aggregate or other additives). More preferably the weight proportion of E5 INTERNAL CURE to cement is in the range of from about 1 to about 10 ounces of E5 INTERNAL CURE to about 100 lbs cement (not including water, sand, aggregate or other additives).
- E5 INTERNAL CURE to cement is in the range of from about 1 to about 5 ounces of E5 INTERNAL CURE to about 100 lbs cement (not including water, sand, aggregate, or other additives).
- An ideal value is in the range of about 3-5, or about 4 ounces per hundred weight.
- the use of more than about 20 ounces of E5 INTERNAL CURE to about 100 lbs cement (not including water sand, aggregate or other additives), or the use of more than about 5 ounces of amorphous silica to about 100 lbs cement (not including water, sand, aggregate, or other additives) can cease to be of benefit in that beneficial water or compressive strength benefits may not be observed, or may be minimally observed.
- the order of addition of the amorphous silica and the admixture is important to realizing the maximum benefit from the inventive processes, compositions, and concretes. For example, it is strongly preferred to add the amorphous silica to the cement mix prior to the addition of the cutter-containing admixture.
- the amorphous silica is preferably combined with the cement mixture according to the section below entitled“Novel Compositions for Improved Concrete Performance”.
- a concrete mix is created from components comprising quantities of a) a dry cement mix; b) water; c) amorphous silica; and d) aggregate and/or sand.
- Dry cement mixes generally have a recommended water content which gives a water/cement ratio providing a concrete mix which has a combination of desirable pouring and curing characteristics ln some cases, the recommended water content encompasses a range of water contents. As indicated infra, the initial water content of concrete mix prior to pouring can give rise to issues during curing and finishing which reduce the quality of the resulting concrete installation (slab, footing, etc.). It is common for water-reducing measures, such as the use of “water-reducers” and superplasticizers to be employed in the interests of reducing water-mediated structural flaws in the cured concrete.
- the present invention can be used to give the inventive concrete in situations in which the water included in the concrete mix is equal to or greater than the amount specified by the manufacturer of the dry cement mix. Water-reducers in the concrete mix are generally unnecessary.
- the cement mix and the water are present in the concrete mix in the following proportions:
- a manufacturer suggested water/cement ratio value wherein said suggested ratio falls in the range of from about 0.35 to about 0.65 ; and whereupon combination with the quantity of water, the water/cement ratio is greater than the value corresponding to about 10% less than the suggested value but less than the value corresponding to about 30% more than the suggested value;
- a manufacturer suggested water/cement ratio range having an upper value and a lower value, and whereupon combination with the quantity of water, the water/cement ratio is greater than the value corresponding to about 10% less than the lower value and not greater than the value corresponding to about 30% more than the upper value;
- the water/cement ratio is in the range of from about 0.35 to 0.65.
- the silica particle size is in the range of from about 5 to about 55 nm. Preferred are particles with average particle size of less than about 25 nm, with average particle size of less than about 10 nm more preferred, and average particle size of less than about 7.9 nm even more preferred.
- a preferred weight proportion in the concrete is from about 0.1 to about 3 ounces of amorphous silica per 100 lbs of cement (not including water, aggregate, sand or other additives).
- a more preferred weight proportion in the concrete is from about 0.1 to about 1 ounces of amorphous silica per 100 lbs of cement (again, not including water, aggregate, sand or other additives).
- t3i is preferably in the range of from about 2 to about 8 minutes, with about 3 to about 6 minutes more preferred, and at a mixing speed (such as for example, in a Ready-mix) preferably in the range of from about 2 to about 5 rpm.
- Time t32 the time immediately prior to the addition of the admixture, is preferably in the range of from about 2 to about 10 minutes, with a range of from about 5 to about 10 minutes more preferred, with a relatively high mixing speed at a rate in the range of from about 12 to about 15 rpm.
- the entire quantity of water is added to the quantity of cement mix and the aggregate/sand components to form a mix, whereupon said mix is agitated for a time t a prior to the addition of the amorphous silica, whereupon the concrete mix is then agitated for a time tb prior to the addition of the admixture.
- the addition of the entire quantity of water at once is useful in the case of wet batch processes.
- Time t a is preferably in the range of from about 2 to about 8 minutes, with about 3 to about 6 minutes more preferred, and at a mixing speed (such as for example, in a Ready-mix) preferably in the range of from about 2 to about 5 rpm.
- concrete of the present invention can give abrasion losses which are reduced with respect to standard concrete by as much as fifty percent or even more.
- standard concrete it is meant concrete prepared by comparable methods, components, and component proportions, but without the addition of the disclosed amorphous silica and the disclosed admixture.
- the surface is generally distinctly different from the surface developed during combination by concretes which do not contain both the following; 1) the inventive amorphous silica amounts, particle sizes and surface areas as disclosed herein, and 2) the inventive admixture formulations as disclosed herein.
- the effect has been described by the inventors as“plastic-like.”
- the surface develops a smoother appearance, which generally increases, to a degree, with combination time, the surface having a reduced incidence of large pores, as well as improved flatness, when compared to widely-used concrete formulations at like stages of finishing that lack the inventive formula and process details as disclosed herein.
- the finishing step can then be performed.
- the methods known in the art can be used, such as, for example, a ride on power trowel or walk behind trowel with finishing blades.
- Those who have worked with the inventive concretes indicate that with the finishing step, the surface increasingly takes on glassy characteristics, such as a clarity which is increased over concretes known in the art and prepared in the same fashion, although not as clear as can generally be obtained with a burnishing step.
- a clarity is a consequence of the retention of moisture in the concrete surface, attributable to the inventive inclusion of silica as disclosed herein.
- the clarity, gloss and flatness achievable after the finishing step is generally enough to qualify as a“Grade 1” finish.
- the finishing step does not necessarily give this glassiness, i.e., heightened clarity and/or glossiness, with traditional top finishing speeds of about 190 rpm.
- the time of finishing is until the surface has the desired appearance. For example, two passes may be necessary in order to observe a finish having superior clarity, glossiness and flatness. It should be noted that the finish can take on a more matte appearance during the combination step, which, if desired can be retained by not performing the final finishing step. In order to obtain a finish having a more glass-like appearance and texture, it is generally necessary to proceed to the final finishing stage.
- Finishing can be done to various grades, based upon the desired glossiness and clarity of the concrete surface. Finishing with a finishing machine, as described above and as performed in the industry, at top speeds of 190 rpm, generally results in a“Grade 1” finish, as is well-known in the art. Further elevations in the quality of the surface, i.e., heightened gloss and clarity, can generally be achieved with the use of a burnishing machine, also well-known in the art, in order to develop a“Grade 2” or“Grade 3” finish. One of skill in the art can generally ascertain the grade of a finish by visual inspection of the finished surface.
- floor burnishing machines operate at much higher speeds (rpm) than finishing machines, it has heretofore been necessary to wait for some time after completion of finishing, such as at least about three or four days, and as long as 28 days or even longer, before using a burnishing machine on a finished surface. It is known in the art that earlier use generally risks significant damage, such as scratching (can go quite deep: 2-4 mm) and exposed aggregate, to the finished surface.
- concrete which has been prepared with amorphous silica, as disclosed and described herein, as well as the admixture or topical finishing use of the formulations disclosed and described herein, can be burnished immediately after finishing, if desired, without damage to the concrete surface.
- the number of burnishing passes utilized is generally simply what is required to achieve the clarity and glossiness.
- the number of passes required to transform a Grade 1 finish to a Grade 2 finish could be as low as 3-4 or as high as 4-20.
- approximately 20 minutes of high-speed burnishing may be required to transform a Grade 1 to a Grade 2. It has been noticed that if the floor does not develop a gloss during finishing, it is unlikely to burnish.
- waiting some time after finishing, such as, for example, from 1-24 hours, or more, to commence burnishing may, in some circumstances, give better clarity upon burnishing.
- An advantage of the present inventive process is that water in concrete formation, such as for example, a slab, formulated according to the present invention, appears to be immobilized in the formation rather than lost to evaporation. The likely fate of much of this water is to participate in hydration at extended periods of time rather than form capillaries and voids. Thus, it is expected that, regardless of thickness, concrete slabs, walls and other formations will display a reduction or lack of voids and capillaries, and a correlative gain in compressive strength. Concrete formation having improved structure and compressive strength with thicknesses up to about 20 feet can be formed with the concrete of the present invention.
- the increase in compressive strength can be in the range of from about 5 to about 40% or even more, based upon the compressive strength of the non-silica-containing pour of a pair of substantially identical pours. In more commonly observed embodiments, the compressive strength increase as assessed through substantially identical pours is in the range of from about 10 to about 30%.
- the concrete of the present invention can generally be used in applications which require poured concrete, such as, for example, slabs, footings, and the like.
- An advantage of the present invention is that the concrete prepared therefrom is generally of increased resistance to water penetration, and can thus be used in poured applications which are particularly prone to moisture exposure and the associated damage, such as footings.
- the present invention includes the discovery that nanosilica, when added to a concrete mix, preferably as a colloidal silica, after the addition of at least a portion of water, gives a cement having an improved compressive strength among other improved properties, such as abrasion resistance and water permeability.
- a concrete comprising of ample water for hydration, pouring and working, in the preparation of concrete which generally lacks the deficiencies otherwise associated with concrete from concrete having high amounts of water of transport.
- the inventive compositions result in concrete which retains water such that exposed surfaces are less likely to dry prematurely than concrete which have not had amorphous silica added.
- the relative water retention effect is observed even in ambient conditions under which the surface would ordinarily be predisposed to desiccate. Concrete can thus be poured under a broader range of environmental conditions than standard concrete. Surfaces can thus be finished with reduced amounts of surface water, or even, in some cases, without adding surface water.
- the present invention enables the operation at the cement manufacturer’s suggested water contents with a reduced risk of water-related issues. These suggested values generally correspond to the amount of water which would be required to enable the hydration reaction to proceed to an acceptable degree, or in some cases, to completion. In the practice of this invention, use of water in the amounts specified by the cement manufacturer is preferred. However, the present invention also reduces the risk of water issues with respect to other processes even when the water content deviates from that specified by the manufacturer.
- the water content is within the range of from about -30% of the lowest value specified by the manufacturer specifications and +30% of the greatest value specified by the manufacturer specifications, based upon the weight of the water added to the cement before the addition of the colloidal amorphous or other silica described herein.
- amorphous silica particles can reduce or prevent the formation of void reservoirs and capillaries.
- the reduction of such imperfections, particularly void reservoirs, and the associated increase in compressive strength tends to indicate that the high surface area amorphous silica particles are participating in a direct association with the included material, regardless of material suboptimal quality. This association may exclude water and strengthen the attachment of the concrete to the included material.
- Nominal dosage range 0.1 - 20 LB/ YD
- 6-A concrete walk behind trowel machine was used to perform the panning (floating) process.
- the pan speed of the floating process was 80-130 revolutions per minute. The process is performed for an hour and a half, at which time, the surface texture of the slab indicated that it was ready for the next power ride on trowel.
- the finisher extremely experienced in concrete pouring and finishing, noted the low friction, commenting that“it felt like I was finishing on a ball bearing surface, with practically no resistance on the machine.” As known in the art, and ascertainable by one of skill in the art, a dull haze which would be identifiable to one of skill in the art. indicated that the surface was ready for the finishing step.
- Footings are a common use of poured concrete in the construction industry.
- the poured concrete is generally subject to constant moisture exposure due to soil contact while curing. Such constant contact can also provide a source of moisture in the case of the cured concrete.
- a footing was poured to observe the characteristics of concrete poured under such conditions. The intent was to observe the density of the resulting concrete (i.e., lack of capillaries and voids) in the footing and to determine if concrete strength was affected.
- the mixture was then mixed at a high speed of 12-15 RPM for an additional tipie of 5-10 Minutes.
- the driver then slowed the concrete barrel to 3-5 RJPM and drove 5-10 minutes to the test pour site.
- the E5 Finish was then added to the ready-mix truck at a rate of 3 oz per hundred weight of cement.
- the drum speed is increased to about 12-15 RPM for about 5-10 minutes, and the mixture is poured.
- the start time of the pour was 07:30AM with a starting temperature of approximately 60°F.
- the ambient temperature peaked in the high 80s during the day.
- the relative humidity ranged from 18% to 67%.
- the wind speed range was from 3 to 18 mph.
- the mixture was mixed (in a concrete drum at 12 - 15 RPM for an additional time of 5 - 10 Minutes.
- the driver was ready to transport the concrete to the job location, he then slowed the concrete barrel to 3 -5 RPM’s.
- the time of transport to the pour site was about 5-10 min.
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- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Ceramic Engineering (AREA)
- Materials Engineering (AREA)
- Structural Engineering (AREA)
- Organic Chemistry (AREA)
- Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
- Civil Engineering (AREA)
- Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
- Curing Cements, Concrete, And Artificial Stone (AREA)
- Preparation Of Clay, And Manufacture Of Mixtures Containing Clay Or Cement (AREA)
Abstract
Description
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Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US201862765597P | 2018-09-01 | 2018-09-01 | |
PCT/US2019/000043 WO2020046409A2 (en) | 2018-09-01 | 2019-09-03 | Wear resistant concrete formulations and methods for their preparation |
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EP3844122A2 true EP3844122A2 (en) | 2021-07-07 |
EP3844122A4 EP3844122A4 (en) | 2022-09-28 |
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EP19853955.3A Pending EP3844122A4 (en) | 2018-09-01 | 2019-09-03 | Wear resistant concrete formulations and methods for their preparation |
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EP (1) | EP3844122A4 (en) |
JP (1) | JP7516385B2 (en) |
KR (1) | KR20220004004A (en) |
AU (1) | AU2019330229A1 (en) |
BR (1) | BR112021003754A2 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2020046409A2 (en) |
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DE2510224A1 (en) * | 1974-03-14 | 1975-09-25 | Alfong Betonhaerdningsmedel & | PROCESS AND ADDITIVES FOR MANUFACTURING CONCRETE OBJECTS |
EP0269015A3 (en) * | 1986-11-21 | 1989-03-01 | HENKEL CORPORATION (a Delaware corp.) | Sag resistant dry set mortar composition |
US4740348A (en) * | 1986-12-22 | 1988-04-26 | Rose Lawrence K | Method for finishing concrete |
SE9603418D0 (en) * | 1996-09-19 | 1996-09-19 | Eka Chemicals Ab | A method of preparation of a hardening composition |
TW527332B (en) * | 2000-05-19 | 2003-04-11 | Akzo Nobel Nv | Composition and method to prepare a concrete composition |
IL153338A0 (en) | 2000-06-22 | 2003-07-06 | Akzo Nobel Nv | Construction material |
AU2001242988B2 (en) | 2000-06-22 | 2004-03-25 | Akzo Nobel N.V. | Construction material |
JP3947743B2 (en) | 2004-03-23 | 2007-07-25 | 住友大阪セメント株式会社 | Method for producing concrete and apparatus used for the method |
FR2880015B1 (en) * | 2004-12-27 | 2007-02-23 | Francais Ciments | CEMENTITIOUS COMPOSITION COMPRISING A LOCK-UP AGENT AND ITS USE IN PARTICULAR FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF LIQUID CAPS |
JP5192146B2 (en) | 2005-12-26 | 2013-05-08 | 株式会社エービーシー建材研究所 | Concrete surface modifier |
FR2901268B1 (en) * | 2006-05-17 | 2008-07-18 | Lafarge Sa | CONCRETE WITH LOW CEMENT CONTENT |
JP5483337B2 (en) | 2010-01-15 | 2014-05-07 | 太平洋セメント株式会社 | Cement composition and method for producing hardened cement body |
JP4903885B2 (en) | 2010-01-20 | 2012-03-28 | 住友大阪セメント株式会社 | High-strength concrete composition using silica fume slurry and method for producing the same |
NL2008605C2 (en) * | 2012-04-05 | 2013-10-09 | Cdem Minerals Group B V | Concrete and mortar pre-mixture. |
US20160107939A1 (en) | 2014-04-09 | 2016-04-21 | Carboncure Technologies Inc. | Methods and compositions for concrete production |
JP6621763B2 (en) | 2014-01-17 | 2019-12-18 | マルティキップ インコーポレイティドMultiquip,Inc. | Addition of colloidal silica to concrete |
WO2016114796A1 (en) * | 2015-01-16 | 2016-07-21 | Brassard David M | Concrete compositions and method for making same |
ES2610511B2 (en) * | 2015-09-25 | 2017-10-09 | Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Científicas (Csic) | PROCEDURE TO PREPARE A MICRO-NANOESTRUCTURED COMPOSITE CEMENTICEO, MORTARS AND CONCRETE LONG-TERM CONCRETE, UNDERSTANDING THAT COMPOSITE |
EP3293322A1 (en) * | 2016-09-13 | 2018-03-14 | Omya International AG | Slip resistant product |
KR20200128572A (en) * | 2018-03-09 | 2020-11-13 | 더스틴 에이. 하트만 | Novel composition for improved concrete performance |
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2019
- 2019-09-03 WO PCT/US2019/000043 patent/WO2020046409A2/en active Application Filing
- 2019-09-03 EP EP19853955.3A patent/EP3844122A4/en active Pending
- 2019-09-03 BR BR112021003754-3A patent/BR112021003754A2/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2019-09-03 AU AU2019330229A patent/AU2019330229A1/en active Pending
- 2019-09-03 KR KR1020217009125A patent/KR20220004004A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
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AU2019330229A1 (en) | 2021-03-18 |
JP2021536390A (en) | 2021-12-27 |
EP3844122A4 (en) | 2022-09-28 |
WO2020046409A3 (en) | 2020-05-14 |
WO2020046409A2 (en) | 2020-03-05 |
KR20220004004A (en) | 2022-01-11 |
JP7516385B2 (en) | 2024-07-16 |
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