Cologne – Specialty chemicals company LANXESS will be showcasing its extensive pigment portfolio for coloring of construction materials together with distributor Harold Scholz & Co. GmbH at the bauma in Munich from April 8 to 14, 2019. It is the largest international meeting place and most important multiplier for the industry. Here, LANXESS will showcase its product solutions for sustainable building and its expertise in coloring concrete products. The company’s Inorganic Pigments business unit (IPG) is the world’s largest manufacturer of iron oxides and one of the leading producers of inorganic pigments based on chromium oxides.

The whole spectrum of pigment expertise

For decades, Bayferrox iron oxide pigments have been used reliably in all types of concrete materials. However, in more recent years, there have been many advancements in concrete technology. “New types of concrete such as self-compacting or ultra-high performance concrete are based on complex formulations, the components of which must be perfectly matched to meet requirements. This must also be kept in mind when iron-oxide pigments are used,” says Oliver Fleschentraeger, Market Segment Manager Construction in the Inorganic Pigments (IPG) business unit at LANXESS.

LANXESS has extensive expertise in the production and handling of pigments as well as in the processing in concrete manufacturing. To continue to provide superior support for the technological development of its customers in the future, the company has invested around 1 million Euro in the further modernization of its application laboratories for construction materials at its Krefeld-Uerdingen site in Germany and at Starpointe Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, in the USA.

“The technical service offering comprises extensive analyses regarding the colorimetric and physical pigment characteristics as well as their influence on concrete properties and rheological characteristics in customer-specific applications, which can be simulated under laboratory conditions,” explains Fleschentraeger. “In addition, we collaborate closely with raw material producers, equipment manufacturers, architects and universities in order to provide the best service for our customers,” continues Fleschentraeger.

High quality – and sustainable

Bayferrox iron oxide pigments also support the requirements of sustainable building and improve the classification of construction materials manufactured in resource-preserving processes through rating systems such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and DGNB (German Sustainable Building Council). As a result, LANXESS is the only pigment producer in the world to be SCS-certified. The SCS Global Services, a renowned independent certification company, has confirmed the large proportion of recycled raw materials in the production process for LANXESS iron oxide pigments. “This provides the ideal basis for our customers to develop, manufacture and successfully sell sustainable construction materials worldwide,” says Fleschentraeger.

Reducing urban heat generation

LANXESS pigments are also perfect solutions to the challenges of urban rebirth. More and more large cities are developing into heat islands with negative effects on health, well-being and climate. The “urban heat island effect” is mainly driven by the high number of enclosed and developed metropolitan areas. Reflective surface materials – especially when used on roofs – can help to counter this effect.

With Bayferrox 303 T, LANXESS is offering a unique black pigment for coloring concrete roofing tiles. Compared with conventional black pigments, it reflects 20 percent more of the sun’s infrared radiation.

This means that the roofing tiles absorb less heat and have a surface temperature that is up to 8 °C lower. This results in a lower temperature inside the building, which improves the indoor climate and reduces energy consumption for air conditioning. This pigment type is also SCS-certified, and has a positive effect on the LEED scoring.

You can find more detailed information about LANXESS products used for concrete coloring on the website at www.bayferrox.com.