Powering ultra reactivity with ultra-reactive specialty binders: LEAP®
Achieving much more with less, or using less to achieve much more. That was the challenge Imerys experts set themselves in designing the next generation of specialty binders, designed for a market calling for greater performance with less product and lower environmental impact.
LEAP, or LEan calcium Aluminate binders for sustainable Performance, is a new technology platform in the Imerys product range, able to do in one minute what used to take an hour and requiring much less product in a formulation — thus providing a giant ‘leap’ in specialty binder performance.
“LEAP opens up ambitious new doors for both product performance and sustainable construction, allowing manufacturers to do much more with much less,” explains Laurent Torres, Marketing Director of Imerys Construction. “It’s the next chapter in our proud and well-established calcium aluminate story.”
What does it mean to do more with less?
From a technical standpoint, LEAP was developed to be a very robust product with good reactivity at low temperatures, high early strength and dimensional stability. This means there are no compromises on both early and long-term performance. Moreover, LEAP’s efficiency has a direct impact on a building’s Life Cycle Analysis and makes an environmental contribution to the downstream value chain.
“The first, and major, benefit of using LEAP is Lean Mix Design, with up to 25% less product and raw materials required in a formulation for higher performing construction material with a lower CO2 footprint,” says Hervé Fryda, Imerys R&D Director for construction. “By doing more with less, LEAP enables unparalleled performance in all kinds of building materials, from gray to engineered mortars.”
High performance, high applicability
Available as a ready-to-use powder with a long shelf life, LEAP’s versatility allows manufacturers to tailor-make all applicative properties. “From fixing and repairing mortars, precision grouts for flooring, mineral foams for filling cavities and boards, to mining, tunneling and even 3D concrete printing, LEAP enables even more efficient and sustainable construction,” adds Jérôme Grolleau, EMEA Sales Director for construction. Moreover, LEAP’s light white color gives it a visual appeal, meaning it can be leveraged for aesthetic purposes.
With the grades already available, the LEAP technology platform opens the way for many new exciting formulations and potential for construction materials. When leveraged with Imerys’ technical expertise and network, the possibilities for tailor-made solutions are almost limitless.
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Imerys minerals are found in over thirty industrial sectors, serving as essential ingredients in a broad range of applications—from cosmetics and construction to energy transition initiatives. In these fields, regulations and client expectations are increasingly stringent regarding environmental protection and health standards. Our goal is to help our clients get the most out of our solutions by enhancing their positive contributions to society and responsibly managing any potential negative effects throughout their entire life cycle.
Over 20 years, Imerys' Technology Centre (ITC) in Villach, Austria, has evolved expertise from primarily abrasives solutions to become a comprehensive research center, advancing innovations across abrasives, advanced ceramics, and investment casting solutions.
We have partnered with inland shipping company NPRC to use renewable fuel powered barges for the transport of our minerals from our Antwerp terminal in Belgium to our customers in Northern Europe.
Our Andersonville plant in the USA is reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by fueling its kilns with a renewable local biomass source – peanut shells.