Trade Journals for the Concrete Industry

This autumn it is one year since the presentation of the new technology for the acceleration of concrete hardening. The ‘Crystal Speed Hardening’ concept, with the innovative hardening accelerator X-Seed 100, was developed and presented to the general public at the BASF Technology Centre in Trostberg. The patented technology is based on the so-called seeding of the pore solution with synthetically manufactured nanoscale calcium silicate hydrate crystallites, which are made available to the customer as a liquid concrete additive for pouring into the concrete mixer. Since no nucleation energy needs to be expended using the seeding crystals – unlike CSH formation in conventional cement hydration – the existing nano-crystals can grow unhindered in the over-saturated pore solution and can thus harden the cement paste considerably faster. This effect is identifiable in both cold and warm periods, and even with additional heating of the concrete. This is remarkable, since classic hardening accelerators are typically effective only at lower temperatures.