Surface Treatments - FOSROC CHEMICALS
Fosroc’s wide range of curing compounds and shutter release agents are manufactured to the highest quality standards to meet all the challenges of the construction industry. Our curing compound ranges comply with ASTM C 309, ASTM 1315, and BS 5425 guidelines.
Maximizing Concrete Durability and Finish: A Comprehensive Guide to Fosroc Surface Treatments
Concrete is the backbone of modern civil engineering and architecture. However, even the highest-grade concrete mix can underperform or suffer surface defects if it is improperly cured, poorly demoulded, or subjected to premature moisture loss.
Surface treatments play a vital role during and immediately after casting. Fosroc Surface Treatments provide specialized chemical solutions—including high-performance curing compounds, chemical mould release agents, and specialized cleaning/etching solutions—engineered to optimize concrete hydration, improve cycle times, and ensure blemish-free finishes.
1. Advanced Concrete Curing Compounds
Curing is the single most critical factor in achieving target compressive strength, reducing surface dusting, and preventing plastic shrinkage cracking. Fosroc’s Concure range provides specialized moisture-retention membranes compliant with global standards such as ASTM C309, ASTM C1315, and BS 7542.
Product Technologies & Applications
Wax-Based Curing Compounds (Concure WB series):
Water-based wax emulsions sprayed immediately after initial concrete setting. They form a temporary physical membrane across the surface that halts premature moisture evaporation, ensuring complete cement hydration.
Polymer & Resin-Based Curing Agents (Concure LP90 series):
High-efficiency polymeric resin formulations delivering ≥90% curing efficiency. Primarily engineered for expansive horizontal surfaces exposed to harsh sun and wind, such as airport runways, motorways, bridges, and industrial hardstandings.
Acrylic Resin-Based Sealers & Curing Agents (Concure 1315 / Concure AB):
Dual-action, clear acrylic systems that cure, seal, and dust-proof in a single step. Unlike standard wax films that must be mechanically removed prior to subsequent finishes, these acrylic resins allow direct application of floor screeds, coverings, and decorative paints on shear walls and slabs.
2. Chemical Mould & Shutter Release Agents
Traditional formwork practices frequently relied on waste oils or basic grease, which often led to surface staining, honeycombing, poor transfer, and degradation of timber formwork.
Fosroc’s Reebol family represents chemical release technology engineered to react with the free lime in fresh concrete:
Stain-Free Demoulding: Creates a microscopic chemical barrier that prevents concrete from bonding to steel, timber, plywood, or aluminum forms.
Architectural & Fair-Faced Finishes: Drastically minimizes blowholes, air entrapment, and surface discoloration.
Formwork Longevity & Rapid Cycles: Facilitates clean stripping, accelerating cycle turnaround times while protecting formwork materials for repeated reuse.
Key Formulations: Reebol, Reebol Emulsion, and Reebol Emulsion Xtra (concentrated water-dilutable options for large-scale timber shuttering).
3. Surface Preparation, Etching & Rust Removal
Achieving strong mechanical and chemical bonds for coatings or micro-concrete repairs requires clean, sound substrate preparation:
Reebaklens: A synergistic blend of acid-based cleaning agents, corrosion inhibitors, and dispersants designed to remove hardened concrete and mortar splatter from equipment, as well as chemically etch smooth concrete floors prior to applying resin toppings or protective coatings.
Reebaklens RR: A targeted rust-converting and cleaning agent that removes oxidation from reinforcing steel bars before encapsulation in concrete, repair mortars, or protective epoxy primers.
Summary: The Engineering Value of Early Surface Treatment
Treating concrete surface chemistry is not merely a cosmetic choice—it directly impacts:
Structural Longevity: Inhibits micro-cracking and carbonation ingress from day one.
Speed of Construction: Reduces demoulding delays and eliminates lengthy manual wet-burlap water-curing regimes in high-rise construction.
Lifecycle Cost Savings: Eliminates the remedial costs of patchwork, surface grinding, or premature concrete degradation.
