Construction Chemicals
Application of ESTILUBE and ESTISOL® vegetable esters and ESTISURF® vegetable emulsifiers in concrete mold release agents
Concrete mold release agents play a crucial role in construction projects and concrete element production, facilitating the easy removal of concrete forms while minimizing damage to the molds.
In recent years, there has been a growing focus on developing alternatives to traditional mold release agents based on mineral oils, leading to the exploration of ESTILUBE vegetable ester oils and ESTISURF® emulsifiers.
ESTILUBE and ESTISOL® vegetable ester oils, derived from renewable sources such as rapeseed and other vegetable oils, offer numerous advantages as components in biodegradable mold release agents.
Firstly, they provide excellent release properties, reducing the stick between the mold surface and the concrete. This ensures the easy separation of the mold from the concrete, minimizing the risk of surface defects or other damage. Additionally, vegetable ester oils have low volatility, which prevents VOC evaporation during application.
ESTISOL 300, ESTILUBE L290, ESTILUBE L320, and ESTILUBE L370 are typical candidates for application in vegetable mold release agents.
Moreover, ESTILUBE vegetable ester oils exhibit superior biodegradability reducing their impact on the environment.
They are readily biodegradable and pose reduced harm to human health or ecosystem integrity compared with non-biodegradable base oils.
Their renewable nature with a high content of bio-carbon (>50%) also contributes to a sustainable approach in the construction industry.
ESTISURF® emulsifiers are essential components in the formulation of biodegradable concrete mold release agents as they help stabilize the oil-in-water emulsion, which usually forms the basis for the mold release agent formulation.
Additionally, they enable the even distribution of the vegetable ester oils throughout the release agent, ensuring uniform coverage on the mold surface, forming a thin, uniform film. The ESTISURF® emulsifiers also aid in the prevention of air voids or bubbles, resulting in a smoother and more consistent concrete surface.
ESTISURF 430, ESTISURF 480, ESTISURF 600, ESTISURF 950, and ESTISURF RE 100 are typical candidates for application in vegetable mold release agents. Like ESTILUBE esters, the ESTISURF® emulsifiers have a high bio-carbon content (>50%).
The use of ESTILUBE vegetable ester oils and ESTISURF® emulsifiers in biodegradable concrete mold release agents offers the possibility to formulate products with a high bio-carbon content. As renewable resources, vegetable ester oils reduce dependence on fossil fuels and contribute to lowering greenhouse gas emissions compared with hydrocarbon fluids.
They also exhibit a high degree of biodegradability (>60%/28 days) and low toxicity to aquatic organisms (>100 mg/ml), reducing the impact on water systems compared with non-biodegradable release agents.
