CHEMICALS manufacturer and global distributor Devine Chemicals has bolstered its product portfolio with wo water enhancing admixtures.

Durham-based Devine Chemicals develops speciality chemicals for the building and construction market through its own DeCAL products.

The company was approached by a major UK manufacturer to formulate an all-inclusive concrete admixture.

Generally, concrete manufacturers keep water levels low to increase strengths, however in semi-dry concrete the water demand is dictated by the workability required to cast the concrete and de-mould instantly. Research shows that approximately 20 to 30 per cent of cement remains un-hydrated in semi-dry concrete due to a lack of available free water. This means that cement filler is an expensive filler.

Utilising 30 years of knowledge and experience, Devine Chemicals has manufactured two new products to solve this issue: DeCAL 9060 and DeCAL 9061.

These products have been specifically designed to optimise water content in semi-dry cement-based applications such as bricks, blocks, tiles and pre-cast concretes.

Commercial director Dan Devine said: “I’m proud that we have continued to develop and enhance our product range throughout 2020.

“DeCAL 9060 and DeCAL 9061 will benefit the user by permitting manufacturers to run plants with a high-water content which reduces down time whilst retaining green strengths and 28-day strengths. In addition, these products also contain a novel compaction aid which lubricates the mix, improving compaction and increasing densities, whilst increasing hydration by up to 25 per cent.

“Manufacturing products such as DeCAL 9060 and DeCAL 9061 enables us to further strengthen our portfolio of products to the building and construction sectors, whilst responding to the evolving needs of our customers.”

Devine Chemicals has more than 30 years of experience in supplying dispersants, water retention aids, rheology modifiers, defoamers, wax emulsions and high-performance pigments for use across a diverse range of industries.

The company's has developed its own portfolio of premium quality products which are designed and manufactured in the UK.

This includes DeCAL – a range of synthetic thickeners and dispersants, DeTOX – a range of titanium dioxide pigments and DeLOUR – a range of pigments.

The firm is also the UK distributor for global manufacturers including Bitoner, Lamberti SpA, Allinova and AFCONA Additives.