 Arkema lends its research to all aspects of construction. From building and protecting to highlighting innovative architectural concepts, Arkema’s high-performance products liberate creativity and overcome traditional limitations. Concrete bends to meet new demands, paint takes on special properties and walls come to life when architects, builders and industrial manufacturers lay the foundation for the future of the construction sector.
The many faces of concrete
What could be more ordinary than concrete, a mixture of water, cement and sand used since Roman times? Don’t be fooled: Arkema’s concrete additives can transform this “raw” material into a high-performance product. Christophe Salus, Construction Market Head at Coatex, fills us in:  “Arkema provides manufacturers with concrete additives called dispersants, which are produced by its subsidiary Coatex . They reduce the amount of water required, while preserving the concrete’s fluidity and reinforcing its strength.” The latest generation of dispersants from the Arkema Ethacryl™ line reduces water requirements by 30%.
These additives, which are sold to admixture manufacturers, can be combined and serve to improve concrete’s performance: - Prolongs the fluidity of concrete beyond 1.5 hours, which enables use beyond the production site. “Our R&D efforts are focused on finding additives that will keep concrete fluid longer in hot climates, where the short setting time poses a problem,” says Christophe Salus.
 Facilitates automatic leveling: concrete that spreads evenly and levels out on its own makes laying a large foundation slab easier than ever.- Improves resistance for taller bridge pillars, towers and more.
- Limits concrete’s CO2 impact by reducing the percentage of cement required and by using new, environmentally sustainable cements.
- Stimulates the creativity of designers and manufacturers by removing certain constraints: Arkema’s Rhéalis™ line enables the manufacture of multiple-use, vibration-compacted concrete blocks. This denser and more aesthetically pleasing concrete can be molded into various shapes: tubes, cobblestones, curbs or even window boxes.
 When paint becomes protection
Arkema sees new applications for paint, beyond its decorative role. With special additives, paint can provide durable protection to surfaces.
Typically used on stadium or parking lot floors, polyurethane paint offers high resistance to abrasion. However, this high-performance coating can “blister” in humidity. The solution developed by Arkema involves adding a very small number of CECA molecular sieves to trap humidity and ensure the paint’s durability. Kynar 500® is a homopolymer of vinylidene fluoride (PVDF) that is used as a base resin by paint manufacturers around the world. Its qualities are well known and include exceptional resistance to UV rays and storms, which protects metallic surfaces from corrosion while prolonging the paint’s shine. La Defense’s Grande Arche and the Louvre’s pyramid demonstrate its power every day! Since December 2008, Kynar 500® has been manufactured using a new procedure that eliminates fluoride surfactants, for a more environmentally friendly product. |
Coatex 
