Improving Infrastructure through Slurry Rheology Control technology

Construction

Concrete is made from a mixture of water, cement, sand, and gravel, and the strength of the concrete depends on the ratio of water to cement. Lower water content improves strength, but it also reduces the fluidity of the mixture, making it harder to work with. We attacked this dilemma by focusing on the dispersion of cement particles, searching for a chemical that exhibited optimum adsorption on the surface of cement particles for good dispersion. The result was Mighty, a high-performance AE water reducing agent (superplasticizer) that enabled the preparation of concrete combining both workability and strength, even with low water content. More recently, we have developed a variety of agents to boost productivity in concrete casting, as by accelerating strength gain for faster removal of mold or imparting high fluidity for improved workability.

We have also met the challenge of preventing washout of poured concrete in connection with such projects as tunnels in groundwater flow zones, embankments, seawalls, and land reclamation. Environmental safeguards to prevent washout into freshwater or seawater were adding to the cost and duration of construction. Applying our expertise in interface science, Kao developed Visco Top, a rheological modifier that exploits the unique viscoelasticity of threadlike stringy micelles. Visco Top inhibits separation of concrete materials to prevent washout, without sacrificing the mixture’s injectability, for safe and efficient construction.

Kao will continue building on its expertise in the control of slurry rheology to develop new technologies that contribute to the improvement of social infrastructure.

Mighty high performance AE water reducer

The following video does not include audio, and a text transcription of its visual content is available.

Mighty high performance AE water reducer

A transcript is available here.

This video compares cement using Mighty with cement not using Mighty. The text “High-performance AE water-reducing agent ‘Mighty ’” is shown. Cement in a bottomless cylindrical container is shown on the left and right. The left side is cement not using Mighty, and the right side is cement using Mighty. When the staff lifts the container, the cement not using Mighty slowly flows out and spreads in a circle. The cement using Mighty quickly flows out and spreads in a circle about twice the size of the Mighty unused circle.

00:15
The container of cement using Mighty is overturned, and another staff member scoops out the remaining cement.
00:29
The work with cement using Mighty is finished, and the staff evacuates.
00:35
The container of cement not using Mighty is overturned, and another staff member scoops out the remaining cement.

Visco Top Rheology Modifier

The following video does not include audio, and a text transcription of its visual content is available.

Kao Visco Top

A transcript is available here.

This video compares cement slurries using and not using Visco top. The text “Rheology modifier ‘Visco top’” is shown. A transparent rectangular container with an open top filled with water is shown on the left and right. A small amount of cement slurry not using Visco top is added to the left container, and a small amount of cement slurry using Visco top is added to the right container. From the flow into the containers, it can be seen that the viscosity of the cement slurry using Visco top on the right is higher than that of the cement slurry not using Visco top on the left. The cement slurry not using Visco top on the left diffuses in the water in the rectangular container, clouding the water, and reaches the bottom of the container. The cement slurry using Visco top on the right does not diffuse in the water, does not cloud the water, and reaches the bottom of the container.

Industrial Chemicals

Industrial Chemicals

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