Concrete

For stronger, more durable concrete formulations

Making concrete has become as much an art as it is a science. When it comes to concrete, for every purpose, there is a formulation, and for every formulation, there is an ideal recipe of mineral solutions, binders and additives. We are a long time provider of high-quality minerals and additives that provide reliable and cost-effective solutions for the production of various types of concrete and specialty binders. Ingredients such as calcium aluminates, natural pozzolans and metakaolin, expanded perlite, wollastonite, calcium carbonate, aggregates and sand all add their own useful properties to concrete that producers seek out. 

Calcium aluminates play a major part in advances of materials and formulation technology. When used as binders in concretes they are prized for the resistance to corrosion, abrasion and heat combined with rapid hardening and the ease of controlling grading variations they provide. 

Our TERNAL® range developed meets the specific needs of building chemistry formulators, allowing for reliable performance and easy application.

Named after the volcanic sand source in Pozzuoli (Naples, Italy) used by the Romans to form the basis for the first effective concrete, pozzolans are naturally occurring alumino silicate minerals that react with calcium hydroxide formed during the specialty binder hydration. This reaction creates more stable calcium silicate and calcium illuminate compounds that improve the strength and durability of concrete. 

We provide a variety of ultra-fine natural pozzolans that conform with ASTM C618 requirements.

Artificial pozzolans can also be produced, by thermal activation of refined kaolin-clays under controlled conditions designed to optimize pozzolanic reactivity, to obtain metakaolin. The metakaolin we produce has a large amount of beneficial properties. 

It improves compressive strength in Portland cement-based concrete. It provides quicker curing times, making it ideal for applications where high strength is required within a short timeline, such as for airport runways. It reduces efflorescence by reducing the porosity of the concrete and reacting with calcium hydroxide before it reaches the concrete surface. Metakaolin also protects reinforcing bars from corrosion because its refined pore structure inhibits corrosive acids, salts, and sulfates from permeating the concrete structure, making it ideal for road and marine applications. It also reduces crack formation by lowering the heat of hydrating and its refined pore structure that prevents cracks caused by freeze-thaw cycles. It provides improved viscosity, reducing the tendency to bleed, making leveling and achieving a good surface finish easier. And finally, it reduces deleterious expansion from certain types of reactive aggregates and helps mitigate alkali-silica reactions.

Be sure to ask us about our ARGICAL® M and MetaStar™ metakaolin ranges for concrete.

Lightweight concrete is a common building material for constructing sturdy load-bearing walls, bridges, and sewer systems and is characterized by a low loose bulk density that is below 2000 Kg/m3 and high thermo-acoustic properties. It is produced by partial or total replacement of the aggregates in the concrete by lightweight aggregates. 

Our expanded perlite is an excellent aggregate for lightweight concrete, providing low densities below 1,200 Kg/m3 and excellent thermal-acoustical insulation properties.

Named after the English chemist and mineralogist William Hyde Wollaston for his contributions to crystallography and mineral analysis, wollastonite is a naturally occurring mineral with a high aspect ratio that serves as fiber reinforcement in concrete. Its calcium silicate composition allows it to chemically bond with the cement matrix, providing superior strength and resistance to crack formation. It also has a synergetic effect when used in combination with natural pozzolans, mentioned above, that enhance the strength and durability of concrete.

Our wollastonite products improve early age strength, reduce micro-cracking, increase flexural and compressive strength, provide superior ductility and fracture toughness, provide greater shrinkage resistance, are excellent for extending macro fibers and textiles, provide ease of mixing, are a sustainable replacement/reinforcement on a micro scale, are naturally occurring, safe mineral additives. 

We recommend our Nyad® G product for concrete applications.

Our high purity marble products that can be used as aggregate, sand, or mineral filler in concrete applications. Aggregates increase the volume of concrete while enhancing workability and strength. We offer a variety of coarse and fine aggregate products. 

Calcium carbonate improves particle packing which, in turn, reduces permeability. It also increases resistance to freeze-thaw cycling, which leads to reduced cracking. On top of this, it reduces efflorescence, improves placement and workability and enhances the performance of other reactive additives, such as fly ash.

We recommend our PolCarb™, ImerCarb™ and FillerPro™ ranges as mineral fillers for concrete applications. 

Last, but not least, sand contributes to reducing drying shrinkage and improves workability, making it easier to place and finish fresh concrete mixes. We offer a range of suitable sand products for concrete. 

To meet the demands of our specialty concrete customers in the construction sector, we have produced a range of calcium aluminate binders, aggregates and technical solutions that are easy to handle and apply, and which provide an aesthetic finish. These products, such as our TERNAL range, are designed to meet high-performance specialist concrete requirements in applications such as surfacing / lining, repair and construction where short turnaround times and resistance to harsh environments are key parameters. Technology is constantly evolving in this area so we need to meet performance requirements that are constantly on the rise.