Liquid Coloring Suspension for Cementitious Compositions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pigments in cementitious compositions often increase water demand, decrease slump, and reduce strength due to high water content, while achieving stable color dispersion is challenging, especially with high pigment concentrations, leading to issues like settling and decreased compressive strength.
Innovation Solution
A liquid coloring suspension containing a polycarboxylate dispersant and a polysaccharide thixotropic additive, which improves pigment dispersion, maintains or increases color strength, reduces water content, and stabilizes viscosity, thereby neutralizing water demand and maintaining slump without increasing it, while avoiding negative effects like gel formation and sludging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If conventional powdered pigment is used in cementitious compositions, then color is imparted to the mixture, but water demand increases and slump decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the pigment from dry powder to liquid suspension form, and modifies the chemical composition by incorporating specific dispersants and thickeners. This parameter change allows the pigment to be applied without increasing water demand, as the liquid suspension contains its own vehicle and rheology modifiers.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite liquid coloring suspension that combines pigment particles with dispersants, thickeners, and other additives in a liquid vehicle. This composite formulation achieves color impartion while simultaneously controlling water demand and maintaining slump through the synergistic effects of its components.
2Ease of operation
If additional water is added to increase slump of pigmented mixture, then slump is improved, but final color becomes lighter and strength decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the rheological parameters of the mixture by incorporating thickeners and suspending agents in the liquid coloring suspension. This allows the mixture to maintain adequate slump without adding excess water, as the thickening agents provide viscosity control and prevent premature stiffening.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid coloring suspension acts as an intermediary that delivers both color and rheology control functions. The suspending agents and thickeners in the suspension mediate between the pigment particles and the cementitious matrix, maintaining workability without requiring additional water that would dilute the color and reduce strength.
3Illumination intensity
If high concentration of pigment is used to improve color strength, then color is enhanced, but settling and sludging occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dispersants and suspending agents as intermediary substances that prevent direct contact and aggregation of pigment particles. These intermediaries create a stable liquid vehicle that can accommodate high pigment concentrations without settling or sludging, as the additives provide electrostatic and steric stabilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention formulates a composite liquid suspension that integrates pigment particles with dispersants, thickeners, and other stabilizing additives. This composite structure allows high pigment loading while maintaining suspension stability, as the various components work synergistically to prevent aggregation and settling.
4Stability of the object's composition
If polycarboxylate dispersant is added to disperse pigment, then color dispersion is improved, but water demand increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of dispersant and liquid vehicle by incorporating the polycarboxylate dispersant directly into the liquid coloring suspension formulation. This combination allows the dispersant to function at optimized concentrations without requiring additional water, as it is delivered within the suspension's existing liquid phase along with other functional additives.
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 solution provides long-term stability, improved color consistency, reduced polycarboxylate dispersant requirements, and enhanced compressive strength in cementitious compositions, maintaining or increasing color strength without increasing water content or affecting slump, thus addressing the limitations of conventional pigments.
Implementation Method 1
These dispersants operate by binding to a cement particle and developing both electrostatic and steric repulsive forces, thereby keeping the particles apart
Implementation Method 2
These dispersants operate by binding to a cement particle and developing both electrostatic and steric repulsive forces, thereby keeping the particles apart
Implementation Method 3
A liquid coloring suspension containing a polycarboxylate dispersant and a polysaccharide thixotropic additive, which improves pigment dispersion, maintains or increases color strength, reduces water content, and stabilizes viscosity
Implementation Method 4
A liquid coloring suspension is provided that has long term stability, reduces the water content and viscosity of cementitious compositions and maintains or increases the color by improving pigment dispersion throughout the mixture
Data Source
AI summary
A colored cementitious composition is provided that is composed of hydraulic cement and a liquid coloring suspension. The liquid coloring suspension for cementitious compositions contains polycarboxylate dispersant, pigment, and a polysaccharide thixotropic additive. The liquid coloring suspension has improved viscosity consistency, improved shelf-life, anti-settling and anti-sludging properties, and decreased polycarboxylate dispersant requirements.