Back in 1988, a 2mm thick film of Intercrete 4841 was applied to a concrete slice and sealed in a chloride ion diffusion cell; 30 years later (10,950 days) it is still providing full protection. Continuous tests carried out in the Vinci Construction Technology Centre laboratory show that the barrier properties of Intercrete 4841 have remained undiminished throughout the test period.
“The performance demonstrated in this test by Intercrete 4841 is unparalleled,” said Chris Lloyd, cofounder of Flexcrete Technologies Ltd, which was acquired by AkzoNobel in 2017. “In Vinci’s experience, many coating systems degrade over time when on test in the cell, and even products that initially perform well can subsequently blister, resulting in more chloride ions passing through the product. Intercrete 4841 has not shown any signs of deterioration despite being fully immersed in the chloride solution for 30 years. It would have taken 271 years for the product cell with the Intercrete 4841 to reach the same chloride concentration that the uncoated specimen reached in just 98 days.”
Intercrete 4841 is a two-component, waterborne cementitious polymer coating, originally introduced in 1985. It offers protection against chlorides and other forms of damage and corrosion by forming a hard, alkaline coating.
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