A Manufacturer’s and Contractor’s Guide to Coloring Ready Mix Concrete with Bayferrox® C Iron Oxide Pigments

Recommendations for the Ready Mixed Producer

• Donotusecalciumchloridewithcolorpigments.Ittendstocausediscoloration/blotches.

• Whenusingdisintegrating/repulpablebags,addasdescribedearlierexceptwhenmixingtimesareshortortheaggregatesareespeciallysmall.Itisthenrecommendedtopourthepigmentfromthebagintothemixinthesequenceabove.

• Keepallrawmaterials–cement,sandandag-gregatesespecially–asconsistentaspossiblethroughouttheentireproject.Anychangecanaffectthefinalcoloroftheproject.

• Besureconcreteloadshaveconsistentmixtimes,andthatdeliveryanddischargetimesareasquickaspossible.Overmixing,longerthan11⁄2hours,affectscolorconsistency.

• Aircontent,especiallyinfreeze/thawclimates,shouldbe5-7%.Airentrainmentisonlyneces-saryifyourclimatedictates.

• Slumpshouldbeconsistent,andlessthanfiveinches(125mm).Itisrecommendedtouseplasticizersinsteadofaddingmorewatertoachieveaslumpofgreaterthanfiveinches.

• Waterhasatremendouseffectonfinalcolor.Toomuchwatertendstolightenthecoloroftheproject–itlooks“pale”or“washedout.”Ifbetterflowabilityisrequired,useaplasticizerorwater-reducingadmixtureinstead.

• Cleanmixerthoroughlyattheendofthejob.Begineachnewcolorwithacleandrum.

• Donotoverloadthemixerasthisreducesmixingefficiency.Bythesametoken,mixershouldbeloadedtoaminimumof40%capacityforagoodcolormix.

Recommendations for the Contractor Using Colored Ready Mix

Follownormalproceduresregardingbaseprepara-tion,useofvaporbarriers,plusplacementofforms,reinforcementandjoints,forcoloredanduncoloredconcrete.Herearesomeadditionalguidelinesthatshouldbeobserved.

• Besuretouseanexperiencedreadymixedsupplierwhoconsistentlyfollowstherecommendationsprovidedabove.

• Donotsprinkledryconcentratedpigment(eitherpowdersorBayferroxCgranules)ontothesur-faceof“green”concrete.

• Giveyourselfenoughtimeandadequatelabortodothejobright.

• Stopfloatingtheconcretewhensurfacebecomeswet.Thenbegintrowelingafterbleedwaterevaporates.Ifyouwaittoolong,burnsordarkspotsarelikely.

• Avoidaddingextrawateratthejobsite.Also,don’twetfinishingtoolsorsprinkleanywaterontothesurfaceofthecoloredconcrete.

• Finalfinishes,suchasbroom,swirl,roughorimprinting,usuallyresultinamoreuniformcolorappearancethansmoothsurfaces.

• Donotfogorcoverfinalprojectwithplasticsheets.Thiscreatesunevencolors.

• Curingcompoundsarerecommendedbutex-tremecaremustbetakenintheirselectionandapplication.Also,surfaceretardersduringfinish-ingmaybenecessaryindry,windyweather.Forbothproducts,consultyourlocalreadymixedconcreteoradmixturesupplierforinformationonproductsrecommendedforcoloredconcrete.

• Efflorescenceisanaturallyoccurringphe-nomenon.Itisthatwhitepowderysubstance,andunfortunatelyitismorevisibleoncoloredconcreteproducts.Sometimesthewholeprojectlookslighterduetoanevenlayerofefflores-cence.Othertimes,itoccursinspotsorinareasaroundtheedgeswherefastersettingoccurred.Ifefflorescencehappens,careshouldbetakenforitsremoval.Useareputableproductandfollowmanufacturer’srecommendationscarefully,usingallsafetyprecautions.

Bayferrox® Pigments for Concrete Made by LANXESS Corporation www.Bayferrox.com ISO Certified

LANXESSCorporationwasformedwhentheBayerGroupcombinedmostofitschemicalsbusinesseswithlargesegmentsofitspolymersactivities.ThecompanybegandoingbusinessasanewlegalentityintheUnitedStatesonJuly1,2004.LANXESSwillcontinuemanufacturingBayferrox®ironoxidepigments,whichisareg-isteredtrademarkofBayerAG,Germany.

Bayferroxsyntheticironoxidepigmentsareusedworldwideforcoloringconcreteprod-ucts,andLANXESSproducesBayferroxpigmentsintheUnitedStates,BrazilandGermany.AlllocationshaveISOcertifica-tion.Therefore,whateverlocationthematerialisshippedfrom,thisisyourassurancethatBayferroxwillbethemostconsistentcolorandqualitypigmentpossible.Seeourwebsitewww.Bayferrox.comformoreinformationonourpigments.

Bayferroxironoxidepigmentsareamongthemostconsistentrawmaterialsthatgointotheconcretemix.However,variationsinwater-to-cementratios,colorofaggregates,cement,mixingtime,weatherandworkmanship,haveatremendouseffectonfinalcolor.Therefore,careshouldbetakentokeepthemasconsistentaspossible.Thisbrochureisintendedtoassistthereadymixedconcreteproducerandthecontractorwhoplacescoloredconcretewithsomeguidelinestohelpassurecolorconsistency.

Call 1-800-526-9377 for Product Information, Order Placement, and Technical Service.

Otherproductliteratureandtechnicalinfor-mationisavailablefromLANXESS.Callusat1-800-526-9377andaskforaBayferroxtechnicalrepresentativeforassistanceintheapplicationandproperuseofourpigments.InadditiontounparalleledtechnicalsupportconductedoutoflaboratoriesintheUnitedStatesandGermany,LANXESSsalesrep-resentativesserviceaccountsacrossNorth

America.Thesesalespersonsareextensivelytrainedandworkwithanetworkofindepen-dentagentswhoalsorepresentBayferroxforLANXESS.

The Bayferrox Advantage

Wehaveover85yearsofexperienceintheproductionanduseofironoxidepigments.Regardlessoftheend-useapplication,thesamequalitycontrolappliestoeverypoundofBayferroxproduced.

BayferroxpigmentscomplywithASTMC-979PigmentsforIntegrallyColoredConcrete.Theyarepuresyntheticallyproducedironoxidepigmentsthatareinsolubleinwater,weatherresistant,alkaliandlimeresistant,andstableunderexposuretosunlightandultravioletradiation.

Uses, Forms of Supply, Service and Availability

Bayferroxissuitableforalltypesofconcreteproducts:readymixedandstampedconcrete;concreteblocks,bricksandpavingstones;segmentalretainingwallunitsandarchitecturalprecastproducts;coloredmortarcement,stuccoandgrout.

Themostcommonformofpigmentusedbythereadymixedconcreteindustrytogivecolortotheirproductispowderpigmentthatcomesinawiderangeofcolors.Theprimaryparticlesizeofthesepigmentsis10timesfinerthancementparticles.Duringmixingtheybecomepermanentlyboundintothecon-cretematrix.

Bayferroxpowderpigmentsaretypicallypackagedin50-poundbags.Forthereadymixedindustry,selectgradesareprepackagedinspecialsizeddisintegratingbagsthatareaddedmanuallytothemixertoachieveaspecificcolorperyardofconcrete.

A Manufacturer’s and Contractor’s Guide to Coloring Ready Mix Concrete

Bayferrox C Pigments. An Alternative to Powders and Liquid Colors

OurparentcompanyproducesBayferroxCpigmentsinGermany.Thesearecompactedgranularpigmentsidealforcoloringreadymixconcrete.Thesepigmentsarespecifi-callyengineeredfortheproducerwhowantstoautomatepigmentmeteringintheirplant.RightafterthestandardBayferroxpigmentpowdershavebeenmade,multiplepigmentparticlesarecompactedtogethertocreatetheBayferroxCgranule.Unlikepowderpigments,however,thesegranularpigmentsarefreeflowingandlowdusting,andcanbemeteredautomatically.

TherearetwobasicmethodsofautomaticallymeteringBayferroxC.

1.Alldrymeteringwherethegranulesareweighedandconveyedtotheconcretemixerintheirdrystate;and2.Dry-to-wetmetering,wherethegranulesareweigheddry,thentheyaremixedwithyourownwater.Thecolorslurryisthenpneumaticallyconveyedtoyourmixer.

Forcoloringreadymixconcrete,therecom-mendedmethodofmeteringBayferroxCpig-mentsisthedry-to-wetapproachmentionedabove.Thisprocessissignificantlylessex-pensivethanbuyingpremanufacturedliquidcolorsbecauseyouarebuyingadryproductthatis100%purepigment.Premanufacturedliquidcolorsorslurries,ontheotherhand,are60-70%pigmentand30-40%water.

The Real Cost of Buying and Using Liquid Colors

Theactualcostforapoundofdrypigmentinapremanufacturedslurry(PMS,oralsoreferredtoasliquidcolor)canbedeterminedusingtheformula:

PriceperpoundofPMSPercentpigmentinPMS

= priceforapoundofdrypigment

Usingthisformula,ifpremanufacturedslurryis$0.85perliquidpoundandthepigmentsolidscontentis65%,thepriceforapoundofpigmentinthatslurryis$1.30,or:

$0.85perpoundofPMS65%pigmentsolids

= $1.30forapoundofpigmentintheslurry

Waterdoesnotmakeconcretecolorful.Onlythepigmentparticlesimpartcolorin

theconcrete.Therefore,onepoundofliquidcolorwillnotyieldthesamecolorasonepoundofdrypigment.Rather,1.54poundsofliquidcolorthatis65%pigment(solids)isrequiredtomakethesamecolorasonepoundofdrypigment.Here’stheformula:

1.54poundsofPMSx65%pigmentsolids=1poundofdrypigments

Some Advantages of Bayferrox C Granules in an Automated Dry-to-Wet Color Metering System

• Lowerfreightcosts.Sinceyouarepurchas-ingadrypigment,youwillnotbeshippingwater.Therefore,yourfreightcostswouldbesignificantlyless.Consideringtheformulaabovewhereyouwouldneed1.54poundsofliquidcolortoequalonepoundofdrypigment,yourfreightcostswouldincrease54%sinceyouareshippingthatmuchmoreweight.

• Improveddispersionandbettercolorconsistency.BayferroxCpigmentgranuleshavebeentestedandproventodispersethroughouttheconcretemixeasierandfasterthandrypigmentpowdersorgranularpigmentsmadeusingspray-drytechnology.Whentestedcomparedtopremanufacturedliquidcolors,theBayferroxCpigments–whenmeteredeitherdry,orfromadry-to-wetsystem–dispersedjustasquickly.Thisimproveddispersionleadstomorethoroughcolordevelopmentandthereforebettercolorconsistencyfrombatchtobatch.

Bayferrox® C. A New Line of BayferroxPigments for Coloring Concrete Products.

• Fewerproblems.BayferroxCisadryproduct.Thereforethepigmentcannotfreeze,itsshelflifeisunlimitedifstoreddry,andthere’snopigmentwasted.Liquidcolors,however,willfreezeand-iftheysitforarelativelyshortperiodoftimewithoutagitation-thepigmentwillsettleandhardeninthebottomofatote,anditcannotbeused.

The Key Advantages of Automation

• Reducesbatchingerrors.Automationisyourassurancethatthepigmentwillbeweighedaccurately,andmeteredtoyourmixerortruckattheprecisetime.Foryouruseandassurance,aticketisprintedforeachbatchofcolormade.

• Colorflexibility.Hundredsofearthtonecolorsareproducible.That’sbecauseme-teringsystemsarebasedonusingfourprimarycolors,withthefinalcolordevelopinginthemixerduetothecombinedforcesoftheaggregatesandmixerdispersingthepigmentparticlesthroughoutthemix.

• Betterhousekeepingandinventoryman-agement.Stockingfourprimarycolorsiseasierandcleanerthaninventoryingnumerouspowderpigmentsinvarioussizebags.

• Reduceslaborcostsandcompensationclaims.Sincenooneiscarryingbagsupaladdertothereadymixtruck,therearefewerbackachesandpains.Safetyisimproved.Andthoughasystemmaynotcompletelyeliminatetheneedforaperson,itwillreducethetimeitpreviouslytooktoaddcolortoyourproduct.

Adding and Mixing Bayferrox into the Concrete

TheshadesontheBayferroxcolorcardforthereadymixindustryhavebeenselectedbecauseoftheirpopularityinthereadymixedconcreteindustry.Numerousothershadesarealsoavailable.JustpickyourfavoritegradeofBayferroxandspecifyitbyname,colornumberandamount.TheseandnumerousothercolorscanalsobeproducedbyyourcolormeteringsystemusingourBayferroxCgranules.

EitherourstandardpowdersortheBayferroxCgranularpigmentsshouldbeaddedintotheconcretemix,notsprinkledordustedontothesurfaceoftheconcrete.Also,youwillnoticeonthecolorcardthattheamountofcolorrangesfromone-halfofapounduptosevenpoundsper94-poundsackofcement.Theloweramountprovidescolorsthatareverysubtle,whilecolorsusinggreateramountsofpigmentaremuchricher.ASTMlimitstheamountofcolorperbatchto10%ofthecementitiousmaterialsinthemix.Anyaddi-tionalpigmentwillnotprovideanyadditional“coloringpower”andmayinfactreducethestrengthoftheconcrete.

Themostimportantthingtorememberwhenusingcolorpigmentsisthatoncethespecificmixdesignandsequencingofrawmaterialshasbeenestablished,theyshouldnotbealtered.Consistencyofrawmaterials,andinallphasesinmanufacturing,arethemostimportantele-mentinmakingqualitycoloredconcrete.

OurBayferroxpowdersandCgradepigmentsusethephysicalactionoftheconcretemixer,andtheactionoftherawmaterialsagainstthepigmentparticles,todispersethecolorthroughoutthemix.Assuch,therecommendedsequenceforaddingpigmentusingbatchmix-ingis:

• Addcarefullyweighedaggregates(sand,stone,gravel,etc.)

• Add1/2to2/3oftotalbatchwatertomixer

• Addexactamountofpigment(dryorslurryform)andbeginmixingatchargingspeedforaminimumofoneminute.

•Addaccurateamountofcement,approvedadmixtures,andremainingwater.Mixforfiveminutesminimumathighspeed.

Atafullyautomatedbatchplant,theBayfer-roxCpigmentslurryproducedbythedry-to-wetcolormeteringsystemisaddedauto-maticallyrightintothetruck.Whenaddingpreweighedbagsofpowder,thepigmentistypicallyaddedmanually,afterthetruckhaspulledawayfromthebatchstation.Thisisasuitablepractice,aslongasitisdoneconsis-tentlyandthetruckhassufficientmixingtimebeforearrivingatthejobsite.

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Note: The information contained in this bulletin is current as of November, 2004. Please contact LANXESS to determine if this publication has been revised.

Health and Safety InformationAppropriate literature has been assembled which provides information concerning the health and safety precautions that must be observed when handling the LANXESS products mentioned in this publication. Before working with any of these products, you must read and become familiar with the available information on their hazards, proper

of our standard conditions of sale. All information and technical assistance is given without warranty or guarantee and is subject to change without notice. It is expressly understood and agreed that you assume and hereby expressly release us from all liability, in tort, contract or otherwise, incurred in connection with the use of our products, tech-nical assistance, and information. Any statement or recommendation not contained herein is unau-thorized and shall not bind us. Nothing herein shall be construed as a recommendation to use any product in conflict with patents covering any material or its use. No license is implied or in fact granted under the claims of any patent.

use, and handling. This cannot be overempha-sized. Information is available in several forms, e.g., material safety data sheets and product labels. Consult your LANXESS Corporation rep-resentative or contact LANXESS’s Product Safety and Regulatory Affairs Dept., Pittsburgh, PA.