Impregnation that becomes part of the concrete

How deep it goes

Lithurin HARD is a water-based impregnating agent. We apply it with a low-pressure sprayer, and it then penetrates the surface layer of the concrete through its capillaries and pores. It reacts there, so it does not stay on top as a film.

Penetration depth depends on the porosity of the concrete and on preparation, so we do not give it as a figure. A ground surface with open pores absorbs more than a dense, power-floated skin. That is why we grind existing floors first.

Illustration: Cross-section of two concrete samples. On the left, a ground surface with open pores; on the right, a dense power-floated skin. A violet impregnation front moves down the capillaries, deeper into the ground sample than into the floated one. Dimension lines without figures mark the treated surface layer. A circle marks a single pore.

Lime turns into C-S-H

The pores of the cement paste contain free lime (calcium hydroxide). The fluorosilicate in HARD reacts with it to form calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) and calcium fluoride, which fill the micropores and harden the surface layer.

reaction in the poreCa(OH)₂ + fluorosilicate → C-S-H + CaF₂

DENS reacts in the surface layer and makes it denser and more uniform. It is suitable for prepared existing floors and levelling compounds, and as an intermediate step.

Illustration: Close-up of a single pore. Hexagonal plates of calcium hydroxide sit on the pore wall. Fluorosilicate flows in through a capillary, fibrous C-S-H crystals grow from the walls, and fine CaF2 particles lie between them. The empty space in the pore is much smaller.

A coating can peel; impregnation stays in the concrete

An epoxy or acrylic coating is a film on top of the concrete. Under wheels and at joints the film can crack, water then gets underneath and the coating starts to lift. To renew it, the old coating has to be removed and a new one applied. Impregnation reacts within the surface layer, so there is no film to come unstuck.

Treated concrete still needs cleaning, and under traffic it wears over time. The difference is that it has no film to lose.

Illustration: Cross-section of two slabs that a forklift wheel has crossed three times. On the left, the coating has cracked over a joint, water has got under the film, and the film has lifted and curled. On the right, the wheel stands on the treated slab: the treated layer, marked in violet, is part of the concrete and there is no film.

SEAL or SEAL 3.0

Both products seal the concrete surface and reduce dusting and liquid absorption, but they do different jobs. SEAL is for dry indoor areas. SEAL 3.0 also suits outdoor and wet surfaces, mortars and levelling compounds, and ground concrete before polishing.

Illustration: Four cases: a dry indoor hall, a wash bay with water, an outdoor ramp in the rain, and a levelling compound with a grinding machine. For the hall, SEAL or SEAL 3.0 is suitable; in the other three, SEAL is crossed out and SEAL 3.0 is the right choice.

A drop on treated and untreated concrete

On untreated concrete, a drop of oil spreads out and soaks through the capillaries into the surface layer, leaving a stain. PROTEC is a liquid-repellent impregnating agent applied as the final step: the drop stays on the surface and you wipe it off.

How well it works depends on the liquid and how long it is left. Clean up spills promptly. PROTEC improves stain protection; we do not promise chemical resistance.

Illustration: Left, an untreated cross-section: a drop of oil has spread and a dark stain has soaked into the concrete. Right, a cross-section treated with PROTEC: the drop has stayed on the surface as a bead and a cloth has wiped it away; a dashed circle shows where it was.

Why daily cleaning is protection

Sand and fine grit on the floor act like sandpaper: under forklift wheels they grind the surface, treated or not. A scrubber dryer with a round Suprashine 8000 diamond pad and Concrete Soap picks them up before the wheels can grind them into the surface.

Treatment helps reduce dusting, but it does not stop it for good. Regular cleaning is part of the system.

Cleaning and maintenance

Illustration: Two strips of treated floor. On the upper one, a wheel has run over sand, leaving scratches and dust on the surface behind it. On the lower one, a scrubber with a round diamond pad has picked up the sand and the wheel stands on a smooth surface.