StoCryl: Protecting concrete and keeping it dry
Sooner rather than later, day-to-day environmental exposure will lead to damage to concrete or reinforcing steel. Water and pollutants dissolved in it pose a particular threat: after penetration into the concrete, they may cause frost damage and reinforcement corrosion. To prevent this from happening, StoCretec developed StoCryl V 700, a protective surface coating that lets water run off effectively from the concrete. This bionic coating uses an innovative principle: during its application, a sophisticated binder-filler architecture creates a surface with a permanent microstructure. This structure ensures that water runs off the surface very quickly, enabling it to dry again within an extremely short period.
This novel, acrylate-based coating was modeled on the Onymacris unguicularis. This species uses countless tiny bumps on its back surface to collect fog so that it condensates and water can run into its mouth. This is how this beetle survives in the arid climate of its habitat, the Namib desert.
Protecting concrete and our environment
StoCretec, the manufacturer, says that StoCryl V 700 features yet another unique characteristic: according to the company, it is the first carbon-neutral concrete coating used in Germany, thus contributing to combating climate change and protecting our environment. CO2 emissions generated during production are calculated on the basis of an Environmental Product Declaration and compensated through emission certificates. StoCretec states that this is the next step towards carbon neutrality after converting its production sites to exclusively utilizing renewable energy sources (100 % hydropower).
