CLARENA®
Clay mitigating admixture
In many regions of the world, it is becoming increasingly difficult to source high-quality aggregates, leaving concrete producers with little choice but to use alternative materials such as manufactured sand or quarry dust. The presence of expansive clays, angular shapes and less-than-optimal gradations in these materials adversely affect the quality of the concrete produced. Poor workability, loss of strength and high performance variability increase operational and quality control difficulties and production costs.
That is why Chryso developed the CLARENA® admixture for clay mitigation, a series of mid- to high-range water reducers that compensate for lower quality aggregates.
Clay Mitigation
Improved Performance
Products
CLARENA® CM150C
Clarena® CM150C is a clay mitigating asmixture used in quarries. The Clarena® CM150C family of products is a new class of materials specifically designed and formulated to meet the needs of the concrete producer. It is designed to selectively react with clay contaminants in both coarse and fine aggregates. This highly engineered, irreversible chemical reaction can eliminate the negative effects of clay-bearing sands and aggregates in concrete. Even a relatively trace presence of clay in a concrete mix can have a two-fold negative impact.
Firstly, the mix will have a higher water demand due to the clay’s absorbency. Normally, this increased water demand would be addressed through superplasticizing admixtures. However, the secondary negative impact of clay is its affinity for polycarboxylate (PCE) molecules, which diminishes the efficacy of PCE-based admixtures. Clarena® CM150C reacts with the clay particles, eliminating the PCE affinity, and enabling PCE-based admixtures to work with increased efficiency.