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BURGHAUSEN I CONSTRUCTION POLYMERS I TECHNICAL COMPETENCE CENTER

SUPPORTING THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY SINCE 1957

CREATING TOMORROW’S SOLUTIONS

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Contents Support from the Inventor 3

Facts and Figures 4

Outdoor Exposure 5

Climatic, Weathering, and VOC Test Chambers 6

General Mortar Tests 7

Tests for Tile Adhesives and Tile Grouts 8

Tests for External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems 10

Tests for Renders and Wall Troweling Compounds 11

Tests for Waterproofing Membranes 12

Tests for Self-Leveling Flooring Compounds 13

Technical Competence Centers Around the World 14

WACKER ACADEMY 15

WACKER at a Glance 16

BETTER BUILDING A QUESTION OF TECHNOLOGY

Mortar is one of the oldest building materials in the world and has retained its popularity down to today. Traditionally, it is composed of a mixture of sand, cement, filler and water. Nowadays, though, a poly-meric binder is usually added to provide the techni-cal properties needed for modern-day construction projects. The challenge posed by mortar is that the constituent raw materials differ substantially from each other in their composition and properties. When the different processing conditions and application areas are factored in, the complexity of the task becomes apparent.

Which is why, as far back as 1957, the Construction Polymers division at WACKER built a technical competence center dedicated to supporting customers as they were developing and optimizing their products.

The goal is to collaborate on custom solutions that boost the performance of cementitious building materials while making them safer, more durable and more sustainable. ETONIS®, PRIMIS® and VINNAPAS® are

registered trademarks of Wacker Chemie AG.

No two sands are alike.

Even the fillers are different.

No two cements are alike, either.

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SUPPORT FROM THE INVENTOR FOR OVER 60 YEARS

In 1957, WACKER was one of the first companies to start pro-ducing dispersible polymer powders. It is now a world-leader in the market for dispersible polymer powders, with production facilities on three continents. It achieved this success by providing customer technical service from the moment the new technology was deployed.WACKER’s customers continue to benefit from the vast experience which the company has

Operating since 1957

amassed over the intervening decades. A key focus here is on the performance of tests laid out in standards and norms. The results of these tests enable useful comparisons to be drawn and determinations to be made in advance as to whether a given formulation will achieve official certification. Aside from addressing specific customer queries, the company also keeps a watchful eye on general trends.

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A POWERHOUSE OF EXPERTISE ACROSS 1,500 m2

In the 1,500 m2 technical competence center in Burghausen, some 55 experts are engaged in testing customer formulations containing original raw materials – with the aim of finding the perfect dry-mix mortar for any given application.

1,500 m² Lab space

> 100,000 Individual values/year

55 Experts

50 Construction-related tests

12 Labs

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GLOBAL, YET LOCAL OUTDOOR EXPOSURE

WACKER has set up outdoor weathering facilities around the world to learn how building materials and formulations perform under real conditions. The largest is located in Burghausen, where renders in particular are continuously monitored and tested outdoors. Every change is documented, along with the prevailing weather conditions at the time. This is the best way to make long-term observations.

Burghausen

Jandira

Dubai

Allentown

Singapore The outdoor weathering facility in Burghausen covers an area of 10,000 m2 and is used for conducting long-term tests in a central European climate. Tem-peratures here can reach 35 °C in summer and drop to -15 °C in winter. Further outdoor weathering facili- ties are located in the USA, Russia, India, Indo-nesia, Singapore, Dubai and Brazil, gathering infor-mation on the impact of cold, hot-dry and hot- humid climate zones.

Moscow

Jakarta

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SIMULATION: CLIMATIC, WEATHERING AND VOC TEST CHAMBERS

How stable is a dry-mix mortar under given storage conditions? What is the highest or lowest temperature at which a formulation can be applied without loss of performance? Is a tile adhesive flexible enough to cope with temperature fluctuations? The answers to these questions are supplied by our climatic and weathering test chambers. We also have our own VOC test chamber that provides information on the emissions released by the building materials. Climatic Test Chambers All tests in our labs are performed under standard conditions of 23 °C and 50 % relative humidity (r.h.). Climatic test chambers of different sizes are available for storing test specimens under defined conditions at temperatures ranging from -40 to +160 °C. Burghausen also has a walk-in climatic test chamber for mixing, processing and testing formulations under extreme conditions at temperatures ranging from -40 to +60 °C. This is useful, for instance, when we need to know if and how a formulation sets at high relative humidity or at a very low temperature. Weathering Test Chambers The market is gravitating more and more toward systems and away from individual products. With our weathering test chambers, wall systems can be exposed to aging cycles involving temperatures ranging from -20 to +80 °C. VOC Test Chambers Modern building materials are classified by their emissions. The VOC test chamber measures emissions of volatile organic compounds during processing, hardening and beyond. Thus, we can determine whether or not a building material will achieve ecolabel certification, e.g. EMICODE®.

The walk-in climatic test chamber simulates the ambient conditions in which mortars are processed and applied. It can also be used to conduct the usual tests on fresh and hardened mortar.

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GENERAL TESTS FOR CONCRETE AND CEMENTITIOUS MORTARS

Concrete and Cementitious Mortars Generally

Test Method Standard or Technical Regulation

Particle size distribution by sieve analysis DIN EN 1015-1

Consistency of fresh mortar (by flow table) DIN EN 1015-3 / DIN 18555-2

Bulk density of fresh mortar DIN EN 1015-6 / DIN 18555-2

Air content of fresh mortar DIN EN 1015-7 / DIN 18555-2

Flexural and compressive strength DIN EN 1015-11 / DIN 18555-3

Adhesive strength on substrates DIN EN 1015-12 / DIN 18555-6

Capillary water absorption DIN EN 1015-18

Water absorption coefficient EN ISO 15148

Water vapor permeability DIN EN 1015-19

Water retention value DIN 18555-7

Shrinkage and expansion DIN 52450

Compressive strength of concrete test specimens

EN 196-1 – 3,000 kN compression testing machine

Additional Tests

Setting behavior by heat-sensing system TML - Heat curve

Cement hydration TML - Ultrasonic measurement

Rheology of fresh mortar Determination of viscosity by Brookfield and/or Anton Paar Physica

Particle size distribution by air jet sieve TML - Particle size distribution by air jet sieve

We have the capability to conduct

all the standard test methods

cited in the relevant norms for

you. We have also drawn on our

vast experience to develop some

test methods of our own – to give

you even more insights into your

products. These test methods are

all prefixed by “TML”.

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TESTS FOR TILE ADHESIVES

We test the adhesion of tile adhesives to different substrates in the lab under specific environmental conditions. We also determine the wetting capability, open time and slip as a proxy for good processing properties. Flexibility is a further test area, as it is essential for ensuring that a tile adhesive can cope with thermal or mechanical stress. List of Standard Test Methods.

Tensile adhesion strength is of central importance. The test reveals how strongly tile adhesives bond to cementitious sub-strates after different types of conditioning: standard climatic conditions, water immer-sion, heat aging, and freeze-thaw cycles. In Burghausen, we have the capability to simultaneously expose a large number of test specimens to freeze-thaw cycles.

The hard-body impact test with steel ball reveals the benefits of polymer modification in tile adhesives: the enhanced flexibility prevents tiles from cracking due to impacts.

Slip determination as per EN 12004-2 In the WACKER method, a force is additionally exerted on the tile to check the slump properties.

The deformation test returns a value that indicates the tile adhesive’s flexibility. It consists in determining the maximum deflection of a 3-mm mortar test specimen by the three-point flexural test.

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Water penetration test with Karsten tubes.

Corundum is added to the abrasion test device.

Test of flexural and compressive strength following dry conditioning and freeze-thaw cycling. The standard test method stipulates a flexural strength of ≥ 2.5 N/mm² and a compressive strength of ≥ 15 N/mm².

The test is conducted on mortar specimens measuring 10 x 10 x 1 cm.

Volume of abraded material is measured.

The shrinkage measurement reveals if hardening is accompanied by a change in length.

TESTS FOR TILE GROUTS

Our tests reveal whether a tile grout prevents water penetration and how it is affected by abrasive cleaning or thermal stress. List of Standard Test Methods

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TESTS FOR EXTERNAL THERMAL INSULATION COMPOSITE SYSTEMS

Bond strength test between insulation, adhesive, embedding mortar and substrate

The durability of external thermal insulation composite systems is tested by determining the bond strength, flexibility and impact resistance of the reinforcing and adhesive mortars. List of Standard Test Methods

Testing the impact resistance of a reinforced insulating material (simulates the damage done to a wall by, e.g., bicycle handlebars or hailstones)

Watch full video

The EOTA test center in Burghausen offers test walls to which customer systems can be mounted and exposed to rain-heat-cold cycles. The walls are then classified on the basis of bond strength and hard-body impact tests.

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TESTS FOR RENDERS AND WALL TROWELING COMPOUNDS

The mortar is compacted on the vibrating table. The air content is then determined as per DIN 18555-2.

Water repellency may also be tested by the Karsten tube method.

Weatherability and UV resistance, water-repellency and mechanical strength are key properties of renders and wall troweling compounds. Our labs in Burghausen are fully equipped to test these properties in compliance with standard test methods. List of Standard Test Methods

Determining the slump helps to assess the consistency of the fresh mortar.

The render is applied to disks of aerated concrete. Capillary water absorption is then measured as per EN 1015-18.

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Waterproofing membranes are tested for their impermeability and their ability to bridge cracks. We employ different test methods to obtain the most robust information possible. List of Standard Test Methods

Test specimens are punched from a waterproofing membrane and then tested for their elongation at break as per ISO 527-1.

The ability of a flexible coating to compensate for a crack in a sub-strate is tested as per EN 14891. The test is captured on camera and can be performed in standard climatic conditions or at subzero temperatures.

Cardboard boxes can be waterproofed with1-2 mm coats of polymer-modified waterproofing membranes.

TESTS FOR WATERPROOFING MEMBRANES

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TESTS FOR SELF-LEVELING FLOORING COMPOUNDS

Self-leveling flooring compounds contain at least 10 ingredients. The formulations are complex and generally tailored to specific appli-cations. Flowability, pumpability, drying time, and emissions are just some of the criteria we check. Our vast formulation expertise is invaluable for matching products to exact specifications. List of Standard Test Methods.

Below and right: Measuring the shrinkage of a specimen bonded on one side to a metal strip.

Measuring the flow of a given vol-ume of mortar on a non-absorbent substrate after 1 and 15 minutes.

The abrasion test as per EN 13982-5 measures the wear induced by a rolling cyclic load of 2000 N over 10,000 rotations. The abrasion resistance/sandability can also be measured under rotation by the Taber method

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GLOBAL YET LOCAL

15 of the 23 technical competence centers provide support for construction polymers.

WACKER operates technical compe-tence centers throughout the world. This network benefits customers in a number of ways. It also enables us to provide local help in the regions quickly and unbureaucratically. And we learn about regional formulation and application practices, the raw materials employed locally, and current specifications and standards. This makes us the ideal partner for globally active players seeking to expand into other countries.

Mumbai

Singapore

Moscow

Istanbul

Melbourne

Seoul

Shanghai

Bengaluru

Jakarta

Dubai

Burghausen Allentown

Mexico

São Paulo

Bogotá

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THE WACKER ACADEMY CONNECTING THE BESTThe global forum for learners, networkers, creators and discoverers WACKER ACADEMY offers cutting-edge expertise for regional markets. Participants can meet and swap experiences with colleagues from similar areas – at 14 locations around the world.

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CREATING TOMORROW’S SOLUTIONS

A Diverse Array of Products for Growing MarketsOur product portfolio ranges from silicones, binders and polymeric additives all the way up to bioen- gineered pharmaceutical actives. Rounding t hese out is hyperpure silicon for semiconductors and solar applications. Innovations that Improve Quality of Life As a technology leader focusing on sustainability, WACKER promotes products and ideas that offer a high value-added potential to ensure that current and future generations enjoy a better quality of life, based on energy efficiency and protection of the climate and environment.

Silicones and Polymers3,200 specialty products from organic and inorganic chemistry

Global Market LeaderIn dispersions and dispersible polymer powders based on vinyl acetate-ethylene (VAE), in building-protection silicones and in the production of cyclodextrin and cystein.

Globally Active • Sites worldwide• Headquartered in Munich • 24 production sites in Europe,

Asia and the Americas• 23 technical centers • 14 WACKER ACADEMY training

centers • 51 sales offices

Employees: 14,700

Total Sales€4.93 billion

All figures are based on fiscal 2019.

Global Knowledge for Local Markets When you work with WACKER, you have 100 years of chemistry expertise at your disposal, with access to the research findings and best practices of our experts throughout the world. Our knowledge base consists of a network of 23 technical centers, 14 training centers and our basic research center.

And most importantly: we are there wherever you need us – worldwide. Our local specialists know your markets and speak your language. Working with them, you will find innovative solutions that win over your customers and make you more competitive. Follow us: Find us on LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter, and we’ll keep you up to date on the latest and discuss current issues with you.

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Wacker Chemie AG Johannes-Hess-Straße 24 84489 Burghausen, Germany Phone: +49 8677 83-6101 www.wacker.com/contact www.wacker.com

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e/01

.21The data presented in this medium are in accordance with the present state of our knowledge but do not absolve the

user from carefully checking all supplies immediately on receipt. We reserve the right to alter product constants within the scope of technical progress or new developments. The recommendations made in this medium should be checked by preliminary trials because of conditions during processing over which we have no control, especially where other companies raw materials are also being used. The information provided by us does not absolve the user from the obligation of investigating the possibility of infringement of third parties’ rights and, if necessary, clarifying the position. Recommendations for use do not constitute a warranty, either wexpress or implied, of the fitness or suitability of the product for a particular purpose.