FL1212 Water Absorption in Slurries

FL1212 is a VA/VV powder built for slurries that have to stay tight. In repair and sealing mortars its contribution is measured in water absorption rather than in strength alone.

Density and Absorption

Water enters a repair mortar through pores and microcracks. Reducing connected porosity reduces absorption, and that is the property FL1212 is chosen for.

The VA/VV base produces a film that packs the matrix more tightly than a standard VAE film at the same dosage, which shows up in the absorption test.

In Repair Slurries

Slurries applied in thin layers dry fast, so the polymer has less time to form a continuous film. A grade that redisperses well and films at low temperature is an advantage in that situation.

In a repair system, the slurry often acts as the bonding layer between old concrete and the repair mortar. Its absorption affects the whole system, not just the surface.

Testing and Limits

Test absorption on specimens cured under the conditions the site will provide. A laboratory-cured sample flatters every formulation.

Remember that a dense mortar is not a waterproof membrane. Where a membrane is specified, a membrane is what has to be installed.