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Tiler’s New Favorite
When we talk about the performance of cementitious mortars, we generally refer to the properties of the hardened mortar. Is it durable, flexible? And of course, these are essential characteristics. Yet for the user, other criteria are important, too. With three new VINNAPAS® dispersible polymer powders, we now additionally address the user’s view on tile adhesives and adhesive mortars.
VINNAPAS® polymer powders are chosen for a variety of reasons, most of which have to do with the performance of the hardened mortar, for example adhesion or flexibility. And while VINNAPAS® has a positive impact on open time and slip resistance, workability was hardly discussed in the past. For the user, however, it is important that the mortar is easy to mix and trowel. So our colleagues at the Competence Center for tile adhesives in Burghausen set out to find VINNAPAS® grades that would additionally improve workability.
New VINNAPAS® Grades with a Soft Touch
With VINNAPAS® 8819 E, VINNAPAS® 4419 E and VINNAPAS® 4449 E we now offer three new grades that put the focus on workability. We verified this in a test with experienced tilers, presenting them two C2 TE S1 tile adhesives for comparison. One was formulated with the new VINNAPAS® 8819 E, and the other was a standard formulation with the same polymer dosage.
Are These Benefits Measurable?
Opinions on workability are in many ways quite subjective. But soft and creamy consistency seems to be closely correlated to good workability. Technically speaking, soft consistency almost always translates into reduced viscosity. This can be measured with a viscometer.
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Formulation of a high-quality tile adhesive with 3.0% VINNAPAS® dispersible polymer powder. The traditional tile adhesive has a viscosity of approx. 600,000 mPas. The tile adhesive with the new product VINNAPAS® 8819 E has a viscosity of approx. 470,000 mPas.
Cream-Like Consistency
Spreading a low-viscosity, creamy tile adhesive requires less effort than spreading a high-viscosity, stiff mortar. And even though polymer-modified tile adhesives are generally quite easy to work with, users confirm that formulations with the new VINNAPAS® grades are exceptionally creamy and easy to spread, allowing for faster and less strenuous tiling. This is especially easy on the elbows, a typical weak spot for tilers.
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Improved Slip Resistance
But not only spreading is easier: it also takes less effort to position the tiles in the adhesive without compromising slip resistance. The tiles are immediately and exactly fixed in place and do not move. With just a little bit of adjusting and squeezing, the tiles can be embedded fully in the adhesive. This can be shown by lifting the 60 x 30 cm tile: the back is almost fully covered with the tile adhesive. Consequently, a high degree of wetting of the tile is achieved to give safe and durable bonding to the substrate. This is important for porcelain tiles and larger formats in particular.
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Enhanced Wetting Capability
The wetting capability is also measured with another test. Here test specimens are laid into the mortar 10, 20, 30 and 40 minutes after the tile adhesive is applied. Then the tiles are lifted. In our picture, the row on the left shows a typical polymer-modified tile adhesive. The tile adhesive on the right was modified with VINNAPAS® 8819 E. We see that wetting is even better with the new grade, especially at the 30 minutes interval. This also means better bonding and better mechanical properties. Better wetting goes hand in hand with a longer open time of the tile adhesive. Advantageous for the tiler, who can spread the adhesive over a larger area right from the start.
Benefits at a Glance
VINNAPAS® 4419 E and VINNAPAS® 8819 E are especially recommended for tile adhesives. VINNAPAS® 4449 E was developed for adhesive mortars in external thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS). So, looking at adhesive mortars from a user’s view has helped us to develop VINNAPAS® grades with a bunch of benefits:
- Cream-like consistency
- Easy to trowel with less resistance
- Very good wetting capability
- Good slip resistance
- Long open time
- Excellent bonding
For more information, please download our info sheet!