ceEntek Pte. Ltd. owns and controls all technologies, critical production and implementation steps for the production and application of UHPC 2.0™. This starts with carbon nano-material formulated to meet the requirements in UHPC and reaches to the on-site use of UHPC 2.0™. ceEntek's optimized CNF for its UHPC reduces the number of ingrediences to just five: sand, cement, water, CNF and superplasticizer!
Shortly following the discovery of carbon nano-fibers (CNF), their use in concrete was scientifically proven and realized in the laboratory. However, the technology could not be put into practice due to cost and implementation constraints.
Today, carbon nano-fibers are used in many applications throughout various industries. Single-wall CNF are playing a major role in expanding present limitations in the semiconductor industry. Multi-wall CNFs are used in composites and batteries. However, CNF manufacturers have been slow adapting to specific end-users' needs. This prevented the breakthrough of CNF usage on a broad basis.
Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) has been known since the 1980's, but found few applications only due to difficulties in sourcing the appropriate ingredients and complexities in the mixing process. Typically, UHPC systems require a complex blend of cements, fine aggregates, silica fume and various admixtures. Due to this complexity, UHPC systems are blended in very few locations globally, adding high logistics costs to the already high prices.
Based on huge infrastructure repair and replacement requirements in the developed world combined with an aggressive infrastructure build up in the developing countries, the demand for environmentally friendly long lasting solutions is rapidly growing. ceEntek's carbon nanofibers next generation UHPC (UHPC 2.0™) meets the requirements for the most demanding applications at a competitive cost level.
UHPC 2.0™ can be prepared, used, and applied like normal concrete. Both precast and on-site fabrication is supported. The material is self-setting and self-leveling. No steam curing or enclaving is required to reach the desired strength and performance.
The use of Carbon Nanofibers/Nanotubes in UHPC had been scientifically proven shortly after the Japanese scientist Sumio Iijima (飯島 澄男) discovered them. However the homogeneous distribution of CNF/CNT in UHPC remained a problem and in combination with the high price of commercially available CNF/CNF limited the use to studies at Universities and Laboratories. Today ceEntek manufactures its own specialized CNF and made them the basis for the next generation of its High-and Ultrahigh Performance Concrete Products.