Every type of release agent can demould your concrete. However, this is not always giving the best results. During the releasing process of the concrete, issues can occur that influence the concrete finish. A good quality release agent needs to be properly applied to avoid these problems. In this article reference release agents are described, the chemicals used in release agents are mentioned, motivations to use our release agents and comparisons are made. Achieve high quality concrete elements with Ecoratio!
Reference release agents
In the market for release agents many suppliers distribute their products. And they all claim their products are the best. From our point of view many variables are influencing the success of your demoulding process. Besides, there are many more benefits of a proper release agent than a smooth release of concrete.
Unfortunately, not all reference release agents have good characteristics. Most of them contain hazardous chemicals causing an unsafe working environment, contain too much oil, are not able to be applied properly, are bad for the environment, cause issues as concrete stains, surface voids and sticking concrete or affect your moulds with corrosion. Even though some reference release agents are cheaper – the eventual costs of repairing concrete or rejected products increases the eventual cost of use. It is important to choose the right release agent and apply it properly to not harm your concrete production process.
Chemicals in release agents
Many companies that produce and supply release agents (not produced by Ecoratio) are working with chemical companies as their main suppliers. Most release agents include the following materials:
- Petroleum / Gas oil;
- Turpentine;
- White spirit;
- Benzene;
- Nitrates;
- Aromatic mineral oil;
- Alkylphenol ethoxylates;
- Disaromatised hydrocarbons;
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, some of the materials that are used to produce release agents are hazardous chemicals that affect the health and safety of the working environment and have bad influence on nature. Using most of these materials means that warning labels need to be present on the packaging of the release agent.
Warning labels are not an attractive feature of products and Ecoratio wants to eliminate the use of labels on their products. We think it is important to produce without harmful materials: no warning labels for Ecoratio!
Why use our release agent
We think it is important to create a safe working environment and to think about the consequences for the natural environment. There are more benefits that come together with the use of our release agents:
- Reduced cost of use;
- Smooth concrete surfaces;
- Improvement of the production process;
- Odor neutral products;
- Biodegradable products (OECD-301-B);
- No addition of solvent.
Ecoratio compared to reference release agents
To give an example what Ecoratio characteristics are compared to other organizations that supply release agents in the concrete industry. See the table:
Higher quality concrete with Ecoratio
We can prove that we deliver good results and smooth concrete. See the demonstrated pictures to see the difference with other release agents in this market:
Remove concrete oil stains from your concrete surface and achieve an uniform smooth surface on several concrete applications with our specific release agent.
Smooth concrete for railway sleepers can also be achieved by using Ecoratio’s release agent. For railway sleepers it is important that the demoulding process runs flawlessly to avoid dangerous deviations in the concrete element.
No more surface voids with the correct applications of our release agents that are specifically designed for tunnel segments. As demonstrated on the picture, the reference release agent caused air bubbles and pinholes. This occurs often when too much release agent has been used and the oil puddles in the moulds or formworks. With our products it is easier to apply the agent on the moulds, minimizing the chance of overuse of the release agent.
Want to experience the effects of Ecoratio’s release agents on your own products? Feel welcome to request a trial and one of our professionals will demonstrate how Ecoratio can improve the quality of your concrete surface finish. In our eBook 'Why Choose Ecoratio' you'll learn more about the benefits of our products and why you should choose for Ecoratio.
