Cement plays the role of binding agent in concrete. Concrete is made of sand, crushed rock and gravel which is bonded together by cement and water. Concrete goes into construction of real estate, dams, bridges and many infrastructure projects. In fact, as per reports, concrete is the second most consumed material in the world after water. But long ago when concrete based on cement was initially used in construction, the building structures after a period of time started to crack. Prior to concrete based on cement it was lime concrete and lime mortar that were used for construction. To remedy the drawbacks in concrete based on cement, construction chemicals were invented. Over the time construction chemicals become an integral part of concrete. Today, the construction chemicals market has grow exponentially. As per Persistence Market Research analysis, the India construction chemicals market is projected to reach a market value of US$ 21.6 billion in 2031, expanding at an impressive CAGR of close to 14% over the forecast period of 2021-2031.Over the time with improvement in construction technology and construction materials, many types of construction chemicals were invented to suit the requirement. Few of the construction chemicals that are extensively used are concrete hardeners, protective and decorative coating, concrete curing, epoxy coating, mould releasing agents, polymer bonding agent, ready mix plaster, polymer modified mortar and waterproofing chemicals.
Concrete hardeners are a permanent, transparent sealer that protects underlying concrete from damage caused by chemicals and contaminants. Hardeners act as a strong adhesive for different floor coverings and surface treatments. They prevent newly poured concrete from curling, a distortion of a slab into a curved shape by upward or downward bending of the edges. Hardeners can be applied to new or existing slabs. Floor hardeners can be liquid or solid, metallic or non metallic.
Concrete curing compound consists essentially of waxes, natural and synthetic resins, and solvents of high volatility at atmospheric temperatures. The compound forms a moisture retentive film shortly after being applied on a fresh concrete surface. White or gray pigments are often incorporated to provide heat reflectance, and to make the compound visible on the structure for inspection purposes. Epoxy coating can be single or two-component. Single-component epoxy paints are usually oil based.
Polymer bonding agent is an aqueous emulsion of a polymer and chemical admixtures. It is designed for use as a bonding agent with concrete and cement-based products in interior or exterior applications. The use of Polymer Bonding Agent in concrete and shotcrete also gives significant improvements in resistance to penetration by chlorides and de-icing salts. Ready mix plaster is a factory mixed/premixed sand-cement based plaster. They are generally used for building houses or making solid structures. Polymer-modified mortar is made by replacing a portion of the traditional binders with polymers. Polymers are added to mortar to increase characteristics that may include adhesion, toughness, flexural or tensile strength, and resistance to chemicals.
Expanding market share
Recently, JSW Cement has entered the construction chemical business and has set up a 0.3-million-ton manufacturing facility in Ballari in Karnataka to produce its construction chemical product range. The product range comprises 'Enduro Plast' readymix plaster, 'Krysta Leakproof' integral crystalline waterproofing compound and 'Duraflor'floor hardner. Pidilite Industries has partnered with GCP Applied Technologies Inc, a global leader in construction products, to offer high-performance waterproofing solutions for challenging sites that have exposure to high temperature variation and water table, under its brand Dr.Fixit®. As a part of the partnership, Pidilite’s Dr.Fixit® will offer GCP’s PREPRUFE® - differentiated, fully adhered waterproofing membranes and SILCOR® 1100 – fast and secure liquid waterproofing membranes in the Indian market. PREPRUFE® is a high performing, pre-applied waterproofing system for critical below grade applications. It is easy to install and provides a strong protection against migration of water, moisture and gas. It is also UV resistant and delivers great results even in harsh conditions or environment. While SILCOR® 1100 is a structural waterproofing membrane designed for buried application and the protection of concrete structures. SILCOR® 1100 is formulated by using the unique ESSELAC® advanced resin technology. It is economical, fast, easy to apply, seamless, durable, and its unlimited overcoat time reduces wastage and ensures longevity of the structure.
Without construction chemicals it is next to impossible to have strong, crack-free concrete structures and herein lies the key to leverage the growing construction chemicals market.
