Mariangela Morelli – INNOSPEC
Innospec is a global supplier of specialty chemicals. The company’s focus has been to provide a complete range of products that can support the manufacturers involved in the manufacturing of Building and Construction products. The chemical company wants to provide the end-customers with a choice of options for achieving a desired result, whether this means improved workability, reduced setting times or specific foaming characteristics. The range spans foaming agents, foam stabilizers, air entraining agents, superplasticizers, emulsifiers and defoamers and includes well-known brand names like Dehscofix®, Millifoam®, Nansa®, Empicol® and Sulfonol®.
As customers would expect from an organization that operates across 22 countries with over 2400 employees, the company owns a wealth of knowledge and experience to draw on.
Innospec invests heavily in researching and developing the new technologies that help solve everyday problems. Its world-class laboratories are equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and manned by top-level scientists.
The customers benefit from the strength of the company’s manufacturing capabilities and distribution facilities. The company is committed to developing strong customer relationships built on trust and working closely to develop shared solutions to complex technical problems. The aim is to deliver a fast, flexible, reliable and customer focused service at all times.
The company’s foaming agents provide engineered solutions for manufacturing plasterboards with different properties. A required core structure and board property can be achieved simply by selecting the optimal chemistry for a specific formulation, process condition or customer application. In addition to the foaming agents the company can provide a powder surfactant to aid gypsum grinding and a liquid fluidizer to complete its product portfolio for manufacturers of gypsum plasterboard.
The gypsum foaming agents are sold under the registered brand name Millifoam® PB and can be supplied as RSPO certified MB (Mass Balance). The range helps to stabilize gypsum plasterboard through three key chemical phenomena. Firstly, the repulsion of surfactant ‘head groups’ retains the thickness of the lamellar and reduces bubble film drainage. Secondly, rapid diffusion of the surfactant to the expanded surface reinforces film thickness, preventing natural deformation of the film. Thirdly, a densely packed surfactant film can reduce diffusion of gas through the liquid interface and help prevent bubble destruction.
Additives for drymix
Innospec also supplies a range of air entraining agents and superplasticizers for mortar and plaster applications. The air entraining agents reduce the weight of the plaster and mortar, enhance crack resistance and increase the insulating properties of plaster after drying.
They also improve the flow properties of the mortar and plaster slurry. These high -erformance air entraining agents are sold under the registered brand names Empicol® and Nansa®.
They work by harnessing the ability of surfactants to lower surface tension in aqueous media by adsorption at the interface. This leads to better mortar workability together with improved anti-shrinkage properties, better sag resistance, water retention and frost resistance. The dosage is usually between 0.01% and 0.03% by weight of cement. The amount of air introduced is dependent on the type of plaster or mortar and on the mixing device used.
Empicol® LX/N and LZ/SM are high-performance air entraining agents. They offer fast foam generation and high foam stability with evenly distributed air voids in plasters.
Nansa® LSS495/H delivers better overall performance than traditional sodium lauryl sulfates. It is not sensitive to calcium salts.
It is also non-hygroscopic and enables faster wetting of solid particles in the dry admixture. It is very efficient at producing controllable, strong and stable micro foam which in turn leads to enhanced mortar and plaster workability over time.
In addition, its range of construction additives, Innospec manufactures and supplies specialty waxes from its state-of-the-art high-pressure polymerization and wax oxidation plants in Leuna, Germany.
The company manufactures high-quality polyethylene (PE) waxes and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) waxes for a range of end products.
The Viscowax® products serve as processing aids, enhancing product properties, or facilitating the utilization of specific processes for printing inks, paints, lacquers, varnishes, paper coating, corrosion protection.
