Reliable weight material is for several building products a challenge to meet. Carpet & roofing materials are looking for consistent fillers that are working neutrally in their production process. Clay-brick producers are looking for calcium in the mix to change the colour of the bricks as market is asking for trendy colored façade bricks.
Problems
Many building materials need a minimum weight to withstand the impact of the environment and climate during their decades-long lifetime. This is especially true for products in wall structures, roofs and floors. Weight is not the only issue. Sometimes the final color of an end product needs to meet new fashion trends and to satisfy customers, notably for facades where the final color of a house must reflect the identity of its owner.
Solutions
Producers of clay bricks, roofing membranes and carpets make use of fine calcium carbonate fillers, known as Calcitec®, in their process for a variety of reasons.
Clay brick producers look for reagents to reduce the dark color of clay brick after the burning process, by adding very fine calcium carbonate to clay soils, which is their main raw material.
Bituminous roofing and carpet flooring need weight to remain in place after they have been laid on flat roofs or floors. Bituminous shingles also need weight when they are laid on pitched roofs. The more severe the climate conditions outside, the thicker the bituminous membranes and shingles need to be in order to resist those harsh conditions.