Silicates Application
Construction
Applicable Products:
Cement/Binders
When silicates are combined with cement ingredients they react chemically to form masses having strong binding properties. A variety of cements is made with soluble silicates in both powder and solution form. Silicates are important ingredients in air-setting refractory specialties and chemical resistant mortars. The advantages of soluble silicates as binders are:
Chemical Grouting
Chemical grouting, or soil solidification, can be used in the following situations:
- To strengthen soil formations to carry a required load, such as under walls and footing of structures
- To seal porous soil, permeable to water, to prevent flooding of mines, shafts and tunnels
- To prevent water loss from cracks in dams and other containment structures
- To seal porous concrete or brick work as may be found in sewers, subway construction or dams.
Sodium silicate is usually combined with one or more chemical reactants that combine with the silicate to form a grout gel bond. One such reactant is calcium chloride When silicate and calcium chloride injected separately into the ground an instantaneous grout is formed. Other reactants are primarily organic in nature.
Concrete Treatment
Sodium Silicates offer two distinct applications to improve the durability of concrete;
- A silicate solution may be applied as a curing agent to the surface of freshly laid concrete after the area has been covered and kept wet with burlap for 24 hours. The silicate application closes the surface pores, thus sealing in the moisture.
- To treat concrete after it has completely set or hardened, silicate is applied to penetrate the concrete. Lime and other ingredients in the fresh concrete react slowly with the silicate solution, to form an insoluble gel within the concrete pores. Resistance to wear, water, oil, or acid is increased.