Processed mineral additive for reducing concrete permeability and increasing strength

• US 8,821,631 B1
• Filed: 04/15/2014
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CenterStar, Inc.
• Original Assignee: CenterStar, Inc.
• Inventors: Anderson, Terry L., Berke, Neal S.
• Primary Examiner(s): MARCANTONI, PAUL D
• Application Number:
  US14/120,008
• Publication Number:
  US 20140224153A1
• Time in Patent Office: 140 Days
• Field of Search: 106/706, 106/DIG.2
• US Class Current: 106/706
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/02 Granular materials , e.g. microballoons
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/06 Quartz; Sand
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/185 expanded
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 16/00 Use of organic materials as fillers, e.g. pigments, for mortars, concrete or artificial stone; Treatment of organic materials specially adapted to enhance their filling properties in mortars, concrete or artificial stone
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/0088 Compounds chosen for their latent hydraulic characteristics, e.g. pozzuolanes
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/2084 Thermal shock resistance
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/02 containing hydraulic cements other than calcium sulfates
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 106/02 Perlite
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2982 Particulate matter [e.g., sphere, flake, etc.]

Abstract

A packaged concrete additive includes ground, expanded perlite with a volume weighted mean particle size of approximately 10-100 μm. The perlite optionally includes at least one additional component to improve workability and compensate for the natural tendency of expanded perlite to absorb water from the concrete mix. The additional component can include: water; a superplasticizer such as polycarboxylates, naphthalene sulfonate, and melamine sulfonate; or a hydrophobic compound, such as salts of fatty acids, fatty acids, silanes, and siloxanes. The additive is a flowable powder and for convenience of use it is packaged in a bag that can be directly added to the concrete batch and disappears on mixing. Concrete containing this additive displays superior properties to conventional concrete. Expanded perlite is a readily available raw material and the finished concrete is suitable where high strength structural concrete must withstand high temperatures.

Claims

1. A concrete additive package comprising:

a flowable powder comprising ground, expanded perlite with a volume weighted mean particle size of approximately 10-100 μ

m and a moisture content of 10 to 50% by weight, said flowable powder contained within a moisture-retentive package that may be directly added to a concrete mix.

2. The package of claim 1 wherein said moisture content is 25 to 50% by weight.

3. The package of claim 1 wherein said ground, expanded perlite has 100% of the particles less than 200 μ

m, 90% below 80 μ

m, and a volume weighted mean of approximately 38 μ

m.

4. The package of claim 1 further comprising a superplasticizer in an amount equal to about 0.025 to 0.8% on a solids basis.

5. The package of claim 4 wherein said superplasticizer is selected from the group consisting of:

polycarboxylates, naphthalene sulfonate, and melamine sulfonate.

6. The package of claim 1 wherein said package is selected from the group consisting of:

pulpable bags, and bags that dissolve at a pH of 11 or higher.

7. A concrete additive package comprising:

a flowable powder comprising ground, expanded perlite with a volume weighted mean particle size of approximately 10-100 μ

m, and,

a hydrophobic compound applied to at least part of the accessible surface area of said expanded perlite; and

,

wherein said powder is contained within a package that may be directly added to a concrete mix.

8. The package of claim 7 wherein said hydrophobic compound is selected from the group consisting of:

salts of fatty acids, fatty acids, metal salts of dioic acids, silanes, and siloxanes.

9. The package of claim 7 wherein said ground, expanded perlite has 100% of the particles less than 200 μ

m, 90% below 80 μ

m, and a volume weighted mean of approximately 38 μ

m.

10. The package of claim 7 wherein said hydrophobic compound is applied to said surface area by mixing said perlite with an aqueous mixture of said hydrophobic compound and evaporating excess water.

11. A concrete additive package comprising:

a flowable powder comprising ground, expanded perlite with a volume weighted mean particle size of approximately 10-100 μ

m, and,

at least one additional component selected from the group consisting of;

water in an amount of 10 to 50% by weight;

superplasticizer in an amount of about 0.025 to 0.8% on a solids basis;

and,

a hydrophobic compound applied to at least part of the accessible surface area of said expanded perlite; and

,

wherein said powder is contained within a package that may be directly added to a concrete mix.

12. The package of claim 11 wherein said ground, expanded perlite has 100% of the particles less than 200 μ

m, 90% below 80 μ

m, and a volume weighted mean of approximately 38 μ

m.

13. A concrete additive package comprising:

a flowable powder comprising ground, expanded perlite with a volume weighted mean particle size of approximately 10-100 μ

m, said flowable powder contained within a package that may be directly added to a concrete mix.

14. The package of claim 13 wherein said ground, expanded perlite has 100% of the particles less than 200 μ

m, 90% below 80 μ

m, and a volume weighted mean of approximately 38 μ

m.

15. The package of claim 13 wherein said package is selected from the group consisting of:

pulpable bags, and bags that dissolve at a pH of 11 or higher.