Calcium formate
SEED Calcium Formate Product Details
Calcium Formate is an effective setting accelerator and strength enhancer for cementitious construction materials. It significantly reduces setting time and improves early strength development in tile adhesives, mortars, and concrete, particularly valuable in cold weather conditions.
- Chemical Name: Calcium Formate
- Chemical Formula: Ca(HCOO)₂
- CAS Number: 544-17-2
- Molecular Weight: 130.11 g/mol
- Appearance: White crystalline powder or granular solid
- Odor: Slight formic acid odor (mild)
- Particle Size: Typically 98% passing through 100 mesh (or specified size)
- Bulk Density: 0.85-1.00 g/cm³ (loose); 1.05-1.20 g/cm³ (tapped)
- pH Value: 7.0-8.5 (10% aqueous solution, 25°C)
SEED Calcium formate Product Parameters
Calcium Formate Content:
Calcium Content: 30.4-31.0% (calculated 30.4%)
Formic Acid Content (as formate): 69.0-70.0% (calculated 69.6%)
Calcium Formate Solubility:
Water: 16.6 g/100mL at 20°C; solubility increases with temperature
Slightly soluble in alcohol
Insoluble in most organic solvents
Other:
Hygroscopicity: Slightly hygroscopic; absorbs moisture in high humidity
Thermal Stability: Stable up to approximately 300°C; decomposes at higher temperatures
Decomposition Products: Calcium carbonate and flammable gases at high temperatures
Storage Conditions: Store in cool, dry, well-ventilated area. Keep containers tightly closed. Protect from moisture. Shelf life: 24 months in sealed packaging under proper storage.
Packaging: 25kg multi-wall kraft paper bags with PE liner
SEED Calcium formate Product Advantages
Accelerated Setting
Significantly reduces the setting time of cement and gypsum, accelerating early strength development (24-48 hours) and enabling faster construction cycles. This also reduces formwork removal time, making it particularly valuable in cold weather or rapid-turnaround projects.
Enhanced Early Strength
Improves mechanical properties, increases 1-day compressive strength by 15-30%, improves 3-day strength by 10-20%, final strength (28-day) comparable or slightly improved, better bond strength in tile adhesives and repair mortars, improved durability and performance.
Anti-Freeze Properties
Lowers freezing point of water in cement systems, enables construction at temperatures down to -10°C to -15°C, prevents ice crystal formation that damages cement structure, maintains workability in cold conditions, reduces damage from freeze-thaw cycles during curing.
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SEED Calcium formate Frequently Asked Questions
How does Calcium Formate improve tile adhesive performance?
Calcium Formate serves as a highly effective setting accelerator and strength enhancer in tile adhesive formulations, significantly improving both early and long-term performance characteristics. The compound accelerates cement hydration, dramatically reducing setting time and allowing tiles to achieve usable bond strength much faster than standard formulations, which is particularly valuable in commercial projects where rapid installation and quick return to service minimize disruption and project costs. Calcium Formate enhances early strength development, enabling grouting and light traffic within hours rather than days, while also improving final bond strength between tiles and substrates for more durable, reliable installations. The additive improves workability and extends open time despite faster setting, giving installers adequate working window for precise tile placement while still achieving rapid strength gain.
What role does Calcium Formate play as a setting accelerator in tile adhesive?
Calcium Formate functions as a powerful setting accelerator in tile adhesive systems by promoting faster cement hydration and accelerating the formation of calcium silicate hydrate, the primary binding phase responsible for strength development in cementitious materials. The formate ions interact with cement particles catalyzing hydration reactions, causing calcium silicate and calcium aluminate phases to react more quickly with water, forming strength-giving hydration products in significantly less time than unaccelerated systems. This acceleration is particularly beneficial in cold weather conditions where low temperatures normally slow cement hydration dramatically, causing extended setting times, poor early strength, and increased risk of freeze damage before adequate strength develops. Calcium Formate maintains accelerating effectiveness across wide temperature ranges, enables reliable winter installation without heating requirements, reduces waiting time between adhesive application and tile placement, and allows faster progression to subsequent installation steps like grouting.
How does Calcium Formate enhance tile adhesive strength development?
Calcium Formate significantly enhances both early and ultimate strength development in tile adhesive formulations through multiple mechanisms that optimize cement hydration and improve the quality of hydration products formed. The compound accelerates formation of calcium silicate hydrate gel, the primary binding phase in cement, creating denser, more uniform microstructure with fewer voids and better bonding between cement paste and aggregate or tile substrates. This improved microstructure translates to higher compressive strength, superior tensile adhesion strength, and better shear resistance, all critical parameters for reliable tile installation that must withstand mechanical stresses, thermal cycling, moisture exposure, and decades of service. Calcium Formate enables tile adhesives to achieve twenty-four hour bond strengths comparable to seven-day strengths of standard formulations, allowing much faster grouting and earlier return to service without compromising safety or durability.
What advantages does Calcium Formate offer for tile adhesive formulation and application?
Calcium Formate improves low-temperature performance, enabling reliable winter installations in unheated spaces or cold climates where standard adhesives would fail to develop adequate strength, expanding the seasonal working window and geographic markets for tile adhesive products. The additive reduces sensitivity to substrate moisture and temperature variations, providing more consistent, predictable performance across diverse jobsite conditions that installers encounter in real-world applications. It enhances compatibility with lightweight aggregates, improves adhesive stability during storage, reduces the risk of installation failures from premature loading or environmental exposure, and can potentially allow reduction of expensive polymer additives while maintaining performance.
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