Calcium aluminate
Calcium aluminate specialty binders for use in refractory, building chemistry, construction and infrastructure works.
Calcium aluminate plays a major part in advances in materials and formulation technology. When used as a speciality binder, it displays high resistance to corrosion, abrasion and heat combined with rapid setting.
Calcium aluminate: The most special of specialty binders
One of our most historic products, calcium aluminate plays a major part in advances in materials and formulation technology. We have been leveraging its’ exceptional properties for over a century, where, when used as a speciality binder, it displays high resistance to corrosion, abrasion and heat combined with rapid setting. Used primarily for high heat refractory applications to develop high value-added solutions for its users, calcium aluminate binders are also put to good use in moderate acid-resistant applications, high-early-strength and quick-setting mixtures and as part of the expansive component in some shrinkage-compensating binders.
Calcium aluminates are obtained by the reaction at high temperature of limestone and bauxite or lime and alumina depending on the purity level required, leaving behind hard calcium aluminate clinkers when cooled. When crushed or screened, it can be used as an aggregate, with its composition and color depending on the proportion and purity of each raw material. When ground into a fine powder, the clinker becomes a binder which forms a paste when mixed with water and has the ability to harden very quickly but in a manageable way in formulations.
When it comes to real-world uses, it is primarily used as high-performance specialty binders or as mineral reagents by a variety of industries. As specialty binders, our legacy, calcium aluminates are used in concrete and mortars for specialized applications that leverage their corrosion, abrasion and heat resistant properties combined with rapid hardening and the ease of controlling grading variations. When used in a combination with other fine components, one is able to obtain hydraulic binders with new properties. This use as mineral reagents also means they can be found in non-hydraulic systems, such as in metallurgical treatments (iron and steel industry, foundry) where specific grades of calcium aluminate are used for their low-temperature melting properties and for trapping molten metal impurities.
The versatility and importance of calcium aluminates means they are present in a substantial amount of our markets, brands and their relevant applications.
Their resistance to heat and thermal shock make them a key component in refractory applications where traditional refractory bricks have given way to calcium aluminate-based concrete, answering the demand for a product combining durability and ease of placement.
Calcium aluminates also play a crucial role in the development of high-performance solutions, acting as growth drivers for the building chemistry market providing reliable, easy-to-handle materials with superior performance with an eye for aesthetics.
Calcium aluminate-based hydraulic binders are also commonly used in the construction, sanitation, mining and public works sectors where their properties ensure finished projects are really made to last.
Key benefits
As urbanization in India accelerates, so does the country’s construction sector and demand for locally-produced, sustainable construction practices suited to the subcontinent. Inaugurated one year ago, Imerys’ state-of-the-art calcium aluminate plant in Vizag, Andhra Pradesh, in India’s southeastern coastal region, produces new products that answer this precise need. It recently showcased its products and initiatives during a construction workshop for customers on October 16 in Mumbai.
While a building’s structure might make it a house, a building’s insulation will make it a home. And, while a builder might have many insulation options to choose from, only one can claim to be totally safe: mineral foams.
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.
From energy usage to emissions and natural resources, the construction industry has a huge impact on the environment. Today, this impact translates to revisions in building regulations, leveraging of technological advances and new materials, and greater adoption of sustainable construction methods. This sustainability is what we strive for.