Binder Mixture with Calcium Formate and Amorphous Aluminate

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Solution Overview

Problem

The cement industry faces challenges in reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from Portland cement production, while also needing to enhance the setting speed and mechanical strength of cement products with lower Portland cement content.

Innovation Solution

A binder mixture comprising calcium formate, hydrated lime, and an amorphous calcium-aluminate starter mixture in specific mass ratios, along with optional fly ash, calcium aluminate cement, and nitrogen-containing compounds, is used to create a cementitious material with improved compressive strength and early bond strength, even with reduced Portland cement content.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-generated harmful factors

If the proportion of Portland cement is reduced to lower energy consumption and CO2 emissions, then the environmental impact is improved, but the setting speed and compressive strength deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveCO2 emissions and energy consumptionVSAvoidcompressive strength and early bond strength
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by introducing calcium formate, hydrated lime, and amorphous calcium aluminate starter mixture in specific proportions (0.1-5% each). This chemical parameter modification enables the binder to achieve high early strength and rapid setting with reduced Portland cement content, resolving the contradiction between environmental benefits and mechanical performance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite binder system combining multiple components: calcium formate, hydrated lime, amorphous calcium aluminate, and reduced Portland cement. This composite approach leverages the synergistic effects of each component to achieve both low environmental impact and high mechanical strength, transforming the trade-off into a balanced solution

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Object-generated harmful factors

If the proportion of Portland cement is reduced, then the environmental impact is improved, but the setting speed deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveCO2 emissionsVSAvoidsetting speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent modifies the chemical parameters by adding calcium formate (0.1-5%), hydrated lime (0.1-5%), and amorphous calcium aluminate starter mixture (0.1-5%). These compositional changes accelerate the setting reaction mechanism, enabling rapid setting performance even with reduced Portland cement content, thus resolving the contradiction between environmental protection and setting speed

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Object-generated harmful factors

If additives such as fly ash or slag powder are increased to reduce Portland cement, then the sustainability is improved, but the early bond strength deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegreenhouse gas emissionsVSAvoidearly bond strength in joints between stones
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes the compositional parameters by introducing specific additives in controlled proportions: calcium formate (0.1-5%), hydrated lime (0.1-5%), and amorphous calcium aluminate starter mixture (0.1-5%). This precise parameter control enables the system to achieve high early bond strength (exceeding 5 MPa after 2 hours) while maintaining high sustainability through reduced Portland cement content

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The amorphous calcium aluminate starter mixture acts as an intermediary component that accelerates the early strength development mechanism. It facilitates the formation of strength-giving compounds that bridge the gap between sustainable low-Portland-cement formulations and high early bond strength requirements, resolving the contradiction between sustainability and early strength performance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The binder mixture achieves significantly higher compressive and flexural strengths compared to conventional cements, making it suitable for thin-bed mortars and other applications, with the strengths exceeding expectations based on individual components.

Implementation Method 1

The surface of the slag sand is stimulated by the components calcium formate, starter mixture and hydrated lime and chemically converted to compounds with neighboring slag sand.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectChemical conversion: Chemical Bonding

Data Source

PatentEP2664597B1Binding agent mixture and dry mortar composition
Publication Date: 2018.05.09 QUICK MIX GRUPPE

AI summary

The invention relates to a binder mixture for the production of cement and similar building materials, comprising 1.5 to 15.0 wt.% Portland cement and granulated blast furnace slag in a proportion of 20 to 99 wt.%. The binder mixture also contains calcium formate in a proportion of 0.1 to 5 wt.%, hydrated lime in a proportion of 0.1 to 5 wt.%, and 0.1 to 5 wt.% of a starter mixture of amorphous, anhydrous calcium aluminate mixed with sulfuric anhydrite, wherein the components calcium formate, starter mixture, and hydrated lime are present in a mass ratio such that none of the three components is present in more than three times the amount of either of the other two components.