How to make a countertop from polymer concrete with your own hands. Polymer concrete: key properties of the material, production and processing technology, regulatory documents Polymer concrete composition

The main difference between polymer concrete and other concrete mixtures is the use of organic compounds in production. Polymer concrete is a mixture of various binders and polyester resins, which are combined with various substances (catalysts, hardeners and solvents). Polymer concrete is much superior to other types of concrete in its physical and mechanical characteristics.

It has increased ductility, increased strength, it is not afraid of water and frost, and is resistant to abrasion. If you wish and have some knowledge of production technology, making polymer concrete with your own hands is not difficult.

Polymer concrete is superior in mechanical and physical characteristics to all other types of concrete.

Where is this material used?

Due to all its positive characteristics, the applicability of this material in construction is much higher than that of others. This material is used:
as an insulating coating for concrete;
when laying high-strength bricks;
as a weather-resistant painting material;
for decorative finishing of premises facades;
for putty and plaster;
as an adhesive solution for facing tiles;

covering for heated floors.

Due to its characteristics, such as high plasticity and low porosity, stable strength, which is achieved in a short period of time, polymer concrete can be produced by vibration molding. In particular, it can be used to work with products of small forms of architecture, decorative items for furniture and load-bearing structures.

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Transparent concrete: some features

Thanks to the presence of glass fibers in concrete, silhouettes can be seen through it.

The technical name for transparent concrete is litracon. It is made in the form of blocks, not much larger than a brick, and because of its transparency it seems completely weightless. This material can rightfully take its place among decorative and construction materials. According to the manufacturers, such blocks, in addition to being used in the construction of partitions, can even be used for paving sidewalks, since glass fibers make up only 4% of the total part of the concrete solution, and the material retains many of the advantages of the concrete mixture.

Due to the presence of glass fibers in the composition, through new material it is possible to see the silhouette of a person or, for example, a tree. Blocks made from this material allow you to fill your living space with light, making it light and airy. It seems as if the walls practically do not exist. It is preferable to use such blocks in rooms that were originally built “dead”, this applies to corridors and storage rooms. If, when constructing a partition made of transparent concrete, you use LED backlight, you can achieve amazing effects.

The sizes of the blocks produced can be different, which does not at all prevent the transmission of light through them. These blocks transmit solar and electrical rays up to 20 meters. And production technology may change depending on customer requirements. Glass fibers can be distributed either along the entire perimeter of the block or concentrated in a certain part of it, and in some cases it is possible to form certain contours.

Printed concrete: basic properties

Printed concrete is widely used for paving sidewalks, pavements, swimming pools, on facades and in interiors.

IN last years Decorative forms of concrete are becoming increasingly popular. This technology is widely used for paving sidewalks, swimming pools, pavements, in the interior and on facades. Surface finishing with colored concrete is increasingly being used, which is also an innovation in the construction industry. This type of concrete is produced by imprinting a texture on the surface of the concrete, thereby imitating any surface - from stone to tile.

For the production of printed concrete, M-300 grade concrete is used using fiberglass as a reinforcing material. After concrete is poured into molds, its surface is imprinted with molds and, as a final stage, it is treated with varnish, which prevents moisture from penetrating into the pores of the concrete, creating the effect of repelling moisture.

Another name for printed concrete is press concrete, which fully reflects its essence: a matrix with a pattern is imprinted on the surface of the coating, thanks to which it is possible to create a complete imitation of a stone coating with minimal labor costs. Printed concrete combines the main consumer characteristics - wear resistance and decorative appearance. In addition to a large selection of textures for concrete production, it is possible to paint it in various colors.

Stamped concrete is superior to asphalt pavement and concrete tiles in many of its technical characteristics. It has increased resistance to aggressive environmental components, and also has an increased temperature limit from + 50 to -50 ° C. This coating is easy to clean and non-slip, which makes it indispensable when laying the coating in swimming pools. Such concrete does not lose its original color under the influence of ultraviolet rays. Stunning decorative effects can be achieved when using printed concrete.

A coating made from this material can withstand about 300 freezing and thawing cycles, which makes it the absolute leader among other materials. In addition, such concrete is not subject to destruction under the influence of acids and alkalis, which makes it an excellent material for organizing flooring in garages or auto repair shops.

Polymer concrete (also called cast or artificial stone, polymer cement, concrete polymer and plastic concrete) is an alternative type of concrete mixture in which a polymer (synthetic resin) is used instead of the standard binder. Thanks to this component and cheaper mineral fillers, the composition is highly resistant to moisture and frost, but at the same time the price of cast stone is lower. Let's take a closer look: polymer concrete - what is it and is this material really worth using in construction as a replacement for conventional concrete?

To answer this question, we first determine what components plastic concrete includes.

Composition of polymer concrete

The lion's share of the polymer cement composition is occupied by filler and it is added in two types at once:

Ground – talc, graphite powder, andesite flour, ground basalt, mica and other raw materials.
Coarse – gravel, crushed stone, quartz sand.

Important! When producing cast stone, metal dust, cement lime and chalk should not be used.

Resin is used as a “fastening” component:

furano-epoxy (must meet the requirements of TU 59-02-039.13-78);
furfural acetone (FAM), meeting the standards of TU 6-05-1618-73;
urea-formaldehyde (corresponds to GOST 14231-78 standards);

To hold the filler together, it is often used polyester resin because it costs less than others. It is also allowed to use methyl methacrylate monomer (methyl ester) that meets the standards of GOST 16505.

In addition, the cast stone contains hardeners, plasticizing additives and coloring components. They must also meet the requirements for chemical additives (GOST 24211).

Depending on the quantity and type of components, polymer concrete of different qualities can be obtained.

Types of polymer concrete

Depending on what kind of filler (or rather its fraction) you added to the cast stone solution, you can obtain material both for creating light decorative elements and for constructing more massive structures.

Based on this, the following classes of polymer concrete are distinguished:

Super heavy. The density of such concrete is from 2.5 to 4 t/m 3. As a filler for extra heavy building material use components measuring at least 2-4 cm. This type of concrete is used for the construction of structures that are subject to great pressure (load-bearing structures, foundations).
Heavy (density from 1.8 to 2.5 t/m3). This type of plastic concrete is suitable for the production of decorative cast stones that imitate marble and other expensive stones. The size of the heavy polymer concrete aggregate should not exceed 2 cm.
Easy. Since the density of such material is 0.5-1.8 t/m 3, it is usually classified as structural-thermal insulation class concrete. Concrete polymer of this type is distinguished by high heat conservation rates. The filler used for its preparation is the same fraction as for heavy polymer concrete, only its quantity changes.
Ultralight. The density of this composition is from 0.3 to 0.5 t/m 3, so it is used for thermal insulation work and during the construction internal partitions. The fillers most often used are various shavings, perlites, cork and polystyrene with a fraction of no more than 1 cm.

Healthy! Most often, polymer concrete is used for the manufacture of: kitchen countertops, sinks, window sills, columns, steps, monuments, fireplaces, fountains, floors, vases and much more.

There is also the lightest artificial stone, with a filler no larger than 0.15 mm. This material has found application in the production of decorative elements.

Properties of polymer concrete

If we compare polymer concrete with ordinary concrete, it is worth noting the fact that in many of its characteristics the composition with the addition of resins outperforms conventional mixtures. Polymer concrete has the following properties:

density – 300-3000 kg/m3;
resistance to compression – from 50 to 110 MPa;
bending resistance – from 3 to 11 MPa;
abrasion in the range of 0.02-0.03 g/cm 2 ;
temperature limit – from 60 to 140 0 C;
elasticity – from 10,000 to 40,000 MPa;
thermal conductivity coefficient – 0.05-0.85 W/m K;
moisture absorption volume – 0.05-0.5%;

The strength characteristics of polymer concrete are 3-6 times higher than those of conventional concrete. The same applies to tensile strength, which is almost 10 times higher for concrete polymer.

It is also worth taking into account the chemical passivity of modern concrete composition, which is determined according to GOST 25246-82. From this regulatory document it follows that at 200 0 C Celsius, the chemical resistance of concrete polymer components to nitric acid will be no less than 0.5%, and to hydrochloric acid, ammonia or calcium solution no less than 0.8%.

Based on this, we can conclude that polymer concrete, which contains resins, has all the qualities necessary for the construction of various objects.

Advantages and disadvantages of casting stone

Polymer cement is often used in the construction of structures that cannot be made from ordinary concrete due to its fragility. Thanks to the polymer composition, structures will be less susceptible to deformation or destruction.

In addition, polymer concrete has the following advantages:

Due to the high water resistance and resistance of the concrete polymer to temperature changes, drops of water on the surface of the finished product evaporate almost immediately, as a result of which cracks and other defects do not form.
The surface of the polymer cement remains smooth throughout its entire service life, so polymer concrete products do not get dirty.
The variety of colors allows you to create from this material products stylized to resemble expensive natural rocks (granite, marble, etc.).
The material is recyclable with the possibility of reusing concrete polymer.
Structures made from this lightweight concrete do not require additional processing.

Speaking of disadvantages modern material, then it is worth highlighting the following disadvantages:

Flammability of polymer concrete.
The high cost of some binding components (however, if you use ground flour as a filler, the costs will be significantly reduced).
It is not always possible to find on sale everything necessary for the production of such a composition.

Speaking about the production of polymer concrete, it is worth considering possible options production of such concrete.

Methods for producing cast stone

The process of producing concrete polymer can be continuous or batch.

Continuous production

In this case, we are talking about large-scale production, for which you will need to purchase the appropriate equipment:

Vibrating table
Stirrer.
Compressor system with gun.
Silicone matrices.
Hood.
Grinding and polishing machines.

To purchase everything you need you will have to spend about 250,000 rubles. Even if you take into account that you will make some of the equipment yourself, the most expensive tools will have to be purchased. Therefore, we will not dwell on this production method and will consider a more accessible technology.

Making polymer cement at home

Knowing what polymer concrete is, it becomes obvious why this material is most often used for the production of countertops and decorative elements for suburban areas. Fortunately, you don’t need specialized equipment to produce it at home.

To make polymer cement with your own hands:

Rinse and clean the filler. After this, dry it until the moisture content of the crushed stone or gravel is 0.5-1%. If you use wet aggregate, the strength of the finished product will decrease.
Sift the sand and remove impurities from it.
First pour crushed stone into the concrete mixer, then sand and aggregate and mix the components for 2 minutes.
Add water and mix everything again.
Soften the binder component (resin) with a solvent or simply by heating the solid mass.
Add a plasticizing additive, stabilizers and other components to the resin. Mix them separately from the aggregate for 2 minutes.
Add hardener.
Mix all ingredients for at least 3 minutes until you get a creamy mixture.
Pour the resulting mixture into a paraffin-lubricated matrix or prepared formwork. Try to immediately fill in the volume of composition that will completely fill the mold. Polymer concrete sets very quickly, so you need to act quickly.
Level the surface and compact the mixture on a vibrating table.
Wait a day and remove the finished product from the matrix.

At this point, the production of polymer concrete can be considered finished.

New technologies are constantly making adjustments to the construction industry, offering innovative materials. Not so long ago, the group of concretes was supplemented by modern polymer concrete. It is rapidly gaining popularity in our country because it is stronger and more durable than traditional concrete and has a beautiful appearance. It is also called artificial or cast stone. In addition to construction, polymer concrete is used to make furniture and plumbing fixtures; interesting landscape sculptures are cast from it; fountains and artificial waterfalls are installed.

Features and types

Polymer concrete is one of the new types of concrete mixtures in which polymers are the binding component instead of cement. The composite material is obtained by mixing viscous flowable synthetic resin with mineral fillers. Plasticizers, dyes, and hardeners are also added to the mixture. Depending on the type of aggregate used and its fraction, the type of binder used and the purpose of the material, several types of special polymer concrete are distinguished.

Heavy polymer concrete, it contains coarse aggregate (2 - 4 cm). It is used for the manufacture of structures subject to high loads.
Thermal insulation. Small particles (up to 1 cm) of highly porous materials are used as filler. Used for thermal insulation, suitable for the construction of internal partitions.
High density structural. The size of aggregate particles in the mixture does not exceed 2 cm. Used in construction. This group also includes cast stone that imitates natural types of granite, marble, and onyx.
Structural and thermal insulation. The density of this type of polymer concrete varies in the range of 0.5 - 1.5 t/m3. The aggregate crumb fraction is no more than 2 cm. The material has good heat saving properties. Scope of application: construction of foundation and wall structures.

Polymer concrete preparation technology

To produce polymer concrete, polymers that are in a liquid state before the hardening phase (thermoplastic or thermosetting type of material) are used as a fastening agent. The most common products are furan, epoxy, polyester, phenol-formaldehyde and urea-formaldehyde synthetic resins.

GOST, in contrast to conventional concrete, allows the use of filler in the composition of polymer concrete not only in the form of large and small fractions, but also finely dispersed components. The specific particle size of the aggregate is selected based on the purpose of the polymer concrete and the requirements put forward for it. For heavy concrete, the filler is large fractions of crushed stone: 10-20 mm and 20 - 40 mm, for a lighter type of concrete mixture - porous expanded clay gravel and agloporite crushed stone.

The polymer concrete recipe contains quartz sand as a fine-grained aggregate. Andesite or quartz flour, graphite powder and marshalite are used as powder fillers. The composition of polymer concrete necessarily contains modified additives: plasticizers, stabilizers, hardeners and dyes. Certain standards apply to each type of material.

How to prepare polymer concrete yourself

The first step is to prepare the starting materials: crushed stone of the required fractions, quartz sand with a grain size of no more than 5 mm, ground filler, for example, mineral flour, binder resin.

The approximate composition by weight in percentage terms is as follows: crushed stone - 51%, quartz sand - 26%, mineral flour - 11%, synthetic polymer resin - 10%, the rest is modified additives.

Making polymer concrete with your own hands involves a number of sequential operations. To do this you need:

Remove dirt and wash coarse aggregates.
Sift the sand and separate out the impurities in it.
Dry the washed aggregates, ensuring the desired moisture content. It is recommended to use only a dry component with a moisture content not exceeding 0.5% - 1%. Failure to comply with this parameter will significantly reduce the strength of the final product.
Load the aggregates into the mixer, strictly observing the following order: first add crushed stone, then sand, and lastly filler.
Mix the loaded components.
Prepare the binder. Depending on the synthetic material used, it is softened by heating or diluted with a solvent, bringing it to the desired consistency.
Add modifying substances to the softened polymer and mix.
Add the binder to the prepared aggregate mixture.
Mix the binder resin with the aggregate (1 - 2 minutes).
Add hardener and mix again for 3 minutes.

It must be borne in mind that the prepared mixture sets quickly, so it must be used immediately by pouring it into formwork or prepared forms.

Among the varieties of polymer concrete, the production of which is carried out in factories, options are produced in the form of dry mixtures. As a filler, they require a fraction not exceeding 1 cm; the mixture is diluted with water. This type of material is suitable for sealing cracks, repairing concrete structures, pouring foundations and installing self-leveling floors.

Scope of application of polymer concrete in construction

First of all, polymer concrete is a building material. Products made from polymer concrete are characterized by high strength, water resistance, frost resistance, resistance to aggressive environments, and a variety of colors. The material can subtly reproduce the pattern of natural granite, marble, or malachite. This factor plays important role in the use of polymer concrete for the manufacture of columns, window sills, fireplace elements, balusters, steps and railings for stairs, decorative stucco moldings, facing slabs.

The technology of seamless self-leveling polymer concrete floors is widely used in construction. Based on their composition, there are several types of such coatings, suitable for premises for various purposes. In industrial workshops, mixtures based on epoxy resins. The lightest and most flexible is polyurethane flooring; it is installed in shops, shopping centers, office premises, on balconies and loggias in residential apartments.

Polymer concrete is a wonderful alternative to structures made of conventional concrete and finishing materials from natural stone.

Innovative technologies delight us more and more every day. New developments have also affected the construction industry. In particular, the creation of new building materials, among which polymer concrete is in great demand. It is a mixture whose composition consists of various polymer substances, and not from the cement or silicate that has long been familiar to us. This material has a lot of positive properties, thanks to which it is superior to conventional building mixtures.

Polymer concrete: characteristics

Due to the huge number of its positive properties, the cement-polymer mixture justifiably deserves respect among builders. Using this material, any specialist will appreciate its strength and durability. Polymer concrete is not susceptible to moisture, does not deform, and responds well to temperature changes and bad weather. It hardens quickly and adheres perfectly to any surface. This material has high tensile strength and good air permeability. It is not affected by any chemical reactions.

But the most important of all the properties of polymer concrete is that it is environmentally friendly and does not pollute environment and does not harm human health in any way.

The polymer mixture is allowed to be used even in the construction of catering establishments, various food retail outlets, as well as other food industry buildings.

Advantages and disadvantages

A huge number of positive properties elevate the cement-polymer construction mixture over conventional concrete. Due to the rapid hardening with polymer concrete, the first work can be done within a few days, which cannot be said about conventional material. The new type of concrete is much more durable and stronger. For complete hardening, it only takes one week, not a month, as for ordinary cement. Among the positive properties of the polymer mixture is waste-free production.

Previously, all agricultural and construction waste was simply thrown away or buried in the ground, thereby polluting our nature. Now the recycled material is used to make polymer concrete. The use of such technology not only solves the problem of waste disposal, but also protects the environment from pollution. Unfortunately, this building material also has disadvantages. Among the negative properties we can highlight the inclusion in the composition artificial materials

. The second negative point is the high cost of some additives necessary for the preparation of polymer concrete. Due to this, the price of the finished product increases.

Application Due to the presence of many positive properties, polymer concrete has a fairly wide range of applications. It is used in landscape design , laying out paths and terraces. A similar mixture is used to decorate walls, both externally and externally, to decorate stairs, fences, and plinths. Such material can easily be handmade . It produces different shapes, figures, and decorative elements.

The use of such a building mixture is suitable for pouring floors. Polymer concrete floors will provide excellent protection against moisture. Polymer concrete floors will keep your home warm.

Kinds

Considering specifications and composition, new generation concrete is divided into:

Polymer-cement. This type of concrete has excellent strength. A similar material is used in the construction of airfields, finishing slabs and bricks.
Plastic concrete. It exhibits excellent resistance to acid-base reactions and temperature imbalance.
Concrete polymer. This building mixture differs from others in that the ready-made, frozen block is impregnated with monomers.

These substances, filling holes and defects in the material, provide it with durability and resistance to sub-zero temperatures.

Also depending on the type construction work Experts divide polymer concrete into filled and frame molecular. The first type allows the presence of organic materials such as quartz sand and gravel. These materials perform the function of filling voids in concrete. In the second option, the concrete is left with unfilled voids. And the connection between concrete particles is carried out by polymer substances.

Making polymer concrete with your own hands is much cheaper than buying it finished products. Recently, the technology for creating high-quality polymer concrete with your own hands has become available to the public, while maintaining all the positive properties of the material. Polymer concrete, what is it? Polymer concrete is a solid base or slab made from a mixture of crushed stone and resins, for which special chemical compounds are used for adhesion. Slabs for floors and kitchen surfaces are made from polymer concrete; the material is used in masonry walls, as well as for creating memorial stands or monuments.

Composition for the production of polymer concrete

The composition of polymer concrete includes crushed stone or gravel, sand, ground filler, binders, and concrete. The choice of gravel or crushed stone as a solid filler depends on what kind of texture is needed. The crushed stone has a uniform color, the stones are approximately the same size. Gravel, on the other hand, has a completely different structure; the stones have a variety of colors, shades and are smaller in size compared to crushed stone.

Sand for the production of polymer concrete is used clean, sifted, it is advisable to use quartz sand.

Unsaturated polyester resin, urea-formaldehyde, furan-epoxy, furfural acetone resin or methyl methacrylic acid ester are used as a binding agent. The type of binding agent does not affect the appearance of the slab, but for bonding materials it is best to use affordable resins in proportion to mineral flour made from microparticles. In order to improve the thermal insulation properties of the slab, saponified wood resin is added to the solution. To improve the quality of the manufactured slabs, for their high strength, surfactants are used, such as an antiseptic, dye, saponified resin, etc. These substances form pores in polymer concrete, which ensures a good thermal insulation effect inside the building.

How to make polymer concrete with your own hands?

It is necessary to prepare all the materials for this: a solid base, sand, resins, mineral flour and tools. Forms for polymer concrete, concrete mixer, trowel, knife and other items as needed.
Solid materials must be thoroughly washed and dried in advance, not allowing the moisture content of the materials to exceed 1-2%; this reduces the quality of the polymer concrete being produced.
The sand must be cleaned of foreign particles by sifting through a special construction sieve; if it is wet, it must be dried. Solid materials used must be dry.
It is necessary to begin the process of mixing materials in increasing order of their density. The heaviest substance in terms of density is cement, so it is loaded first. Sand and gravel or crushed stone are then added. All materials are mixed well in dry form, and then water is added and the composition is mixed.
The resin must be brought into a soft state; it can be softened with a solvent or heated. The necessary surfactants are added to the soft resin and after that the entire composition is thoroughly mixed.
The binder combines with the resin and mixes with solid materials. The composition is thoroughly mixed until a homogeneous mass is obtained.

Polymer concrete hardens very quickly; after mixing, it is necessary to urgently spread the mass into molds and clean the vessel in which the materials were mixed.

Do-it-yourself polymer concrete is ready, its technical characteristics are so good that blocks and slabs of polymer concrete are used to install external walls, for interior decoration premises, as well as in the decoration of premises and for the creation of furniture.

Concrete blocks in construction and their functions

Installation of walls made of modern concrete blocks is quite convenient due to the dimensions of the blocks, in addition, modern technologies creating slabs and blocks significantly improves their quality and service life. If polymer concrete blocks are used for interior work More often, in external construction, walls are laid from expanded clay concrete blocks. These are also high-quality blocks that retain heat better than ordinary concrete and are easy to construct and use. A concrete wall made of expanded clay can be insulated both from the inside and outside. If this is a residential premises, it can be insulated at the request of the owner, and if the premises are for utility purposes, interior finishing or plaster without insulation is sufficient. Installation of concrete walls involves the use of cement mortar during laying. If installation is carried out decorative finishes indoors, use glue, silicone or cement mortar.

Having a concrete wall surface in the house, you need to know how to properly assemble and install technical elements in the walls: sockets, baseboards, cornices, etc.

Correct installation of building elements

How to hammer a nail into concrete wall? To do this, you need dowels and a mounting gun. The exact location of the nails is marked on the wall surface and the dowel is driven into the wall using a mounting gun. In order to install large structures to a concrete wall, use dowels of at least 10 mm in diameter, with a recess into the wall surface of at least 100 mm. If lightweight structures are being installed, dowels with a diameter of 8 mm with a recess in the wall of at least 30 mm are used. During the installation of structures, it is recommended to use construction adhesive to lubricate the dowel holes to ensure safe load bearing.

Installing socket boxes in a concrete wall requires special responsibility, because incorrect installation of the socket box leads to it falling out of the wall along with the wiring. Plastic socket boxes are used for concrete walls. Using a hammer drill with a Pobedit drill and teeth, a hole is drilled in the wall along the diameter of the socket box and its surface is cleaned. After this, the socket box must be installed in the wall; the previously de-energized wires should be pulled out through the hole cut inside the socket box. If there is no hole, you can cut it yourself using a construction knife. Using the self-tapping screws that come with the socket box, attach the socket box to the wall. Installation of socket boxes in a concrete wall is ready.

How to attach a plinth to a concrete wall? To attach the plinth to a concrete wall, you will need: a drill, dowels, and self-tapping screws. In a pre-designated location on the wall, a hole is drilled using a drill through the baseboard. That is, both the wall and the baseboard are drilled at the same time. The drill bit must be selected according to the dowels. The dowels must be inserted into the concrete wall at a distance of approximately 40-60 cm. The plinth is secured to the wall with dowels using a self-tapping screw or nail.

Conclusion on the topic

If all requirements are met, making polymer concrete will not be difficult. The main thing is to follow the instructions and then there will be no problems