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drymix.info Newsletter 250/2021; ISSN Number 1613-0111; 23. MARCH 2021

1. Abstracts from Drymix Mortar Yearbook 2021: Meissner Bolte and Imerys Aluminates
2. Two Live Panels and 3D Mortar Printing Session at 5th MORTAR CONVENTION, 27. to 29 April 2021
3. ICON Joins drymix.info as a Member
4. MBCC Group to Acquire TPH Bausysteme
5. ABK Group Takes over Desvres Boussois
6. Sika Takes over Supermassa
7. BASF Starts Up New Acrylic Dispersions Plant in Malaysia
8. Baumit Continues Rebuilding its Plant in Wittenborn

1. Abstracts from Drymix Mortar Yearbook 2021: Meissner Bolte and Imerys Aluminates

S. Held, M. Munsch | Meissner Bolte Patentanwälte Rechtsanwälte mbB | Munich, Düsseldorf, Germany:
Patent Infringement in the Context of the Relationship between a Raw-Materials Supplier and a Manufacturer of a Formulation
The selection of raw materials and the development of formulations are among the everyday tasks of dry mortar manufacturers, in particular in the fields of R&D and Purchasing. In this context, two fundamental questions frequently arise: Is the new development protectable and/or are existing property rights being contravened?
The following article examines the question to what extent the individual parties involved in the supply chain of a raw material up to the dry mortar manufacturer may be involved in a patent infringement.

A. Franceschini, C. Nalet, P. Taquet | Imerys Aluminates| Vaulx Milieu, France:
U-Technology, a Specialty Binder Pushing further the Synchronization of Ettringite Formation
In applications where high performance (fast drying, rapid setting and hardening, shrinkage compensation) is required at early age, Portland cement is accelerated by ettringite. This hydrate is often obtained by the co-precipitation of Calcium Aluminate Cements (CAC) and Calcium Sulfate (C$), alongside the hydration of Portland Cement (OPC). In order to improve this ternary binder logic, Imerys developed the U-Technology (U stands for Ultra- reactive), a novel Ettringite precursor based on amorphous Calcium Aluminate. This technology allows for a better synchronization of the dissolution of the binder components and thus a more complete Ettringite precipitation. This study revealed that the use of U-Technology drastically improves both the early age and long term performance, even in cold temperature. The high efficiency of this U-technology, fully compatible with all additives & fillers, opens the door to a leaner formulation design, thus reducing the CO2 footprint & formulation cost.

The Drymix Mortar Yearbook (DMYB) is the annual publication for drymix mortar experts worldwide. DMYB 2021 contains contributions by (in alphabetical order) Agrana, Avebe, Calucem, Celanese, Celotech, CFF, Dow, drymix.info, Evonik, Imerys, LPM AG, Mapei, Meissner Bolte Rechtsanwälte, Organik Kimya, Polyplast, Sicit/PlastRetard, Technische Universität München (TUM), Wacker Chemie.

We will be publishing the abstracts of the scientific contributions in the next few drymix.info Newsletters, to remind you to ...
... order your copy of the Drymix Mortar Yearbook 2021 now!

2. Two Live Panels and 3D Mortar Printing Session at 5th MORTAR CONVENTION, 27. to 29 April 2021

In the last drymix.info Newsletter, we published the preliminary program of our 5th MORTAR CONVENTION, which takes place as Live Event Online from 27. to 29. April 2021. Today, we are proud to report quite exiting additions:

Technical Exchange on 3D Mortar Printing by ICON

ICON of Austin Texas, USA has agreed to share their progress in serial 3D Mortar Printing with all delegates in an interactive one-hour technical exchange, which takes place after the actual program on Tuesday, 27. April 2021. Contributors include Kunal Kupwade-Patil, Matthew Carli and Alex Le Roux. The technical exchange session will be recorded and made available for viewing by all delegates to 5th MORTAR CONVENTION.

Live Panel Discussions:

How Do Sustainability Requirements Encourage Product Development?

A Live Panel Discussion with Doris van Garsel, Almatis (Germany), Matthias Gelber, Environmental Consultant (The Philippines) and Gustavo Soarez , Wacker Chemie (Brasil/Germany). The Panel takes place on 27.4.21, moderated live by Leo.

ScalingUp 3D - 3D Mortar Printing at the Verge of Serial Industrial Production

A Live Panel Discussion with Dr. Scott Jones, National Institute of Standards and Technology (USA), Jan Blaakmeer, Saint Gobain Weber Beamix (The Netherlands) and Waldemar Korte, MENSE-KORTE ingenieure + architekten (Germany). The Panel takes place on April 28, 2021, moderated live by Leo.
Both panel discussions will be recorded and made available for viewing by all delegates to 5th MORTAR CONVENTION.

The drymix.info Lounge during the event will be available for all delegates during the breaks and after the official program. Each delegate can make appointments there and chat in a cozy atmosphere. Unfortunately we can not allow (nor forbid) alcoholic drinks or cigars there ... ;-).

The technical exchange session, the two panel discussions and the drymix.info Lounge are part of 5th MORTAR CONVENTION at no extra charge. The admission, valid for all three days, is 120 Euro per person, reduced for drymix.info, MEDMA and SEADMA partners to 80 Euro. Drymix mortar manufacturers pay only 40 Euro. Attendance to the 5th MORTAR CONVENTION is limited to 500 delegates. Please support your drymix mortar community by registering yourself at www.drymix.info using your credit card (Visa or Master accepted). Individual invoicing for bank-to-bank transfer is not encouraged, sorry.

3. ICON Joins drymix.info as a Member

Icon of Austin, TX, USA has decided to join drymix.info as a Manufacturing Member. The construction technologies company, founded only three years ago by Jason Ballard, Alex Le Roux and Evan Loomis, is focused on 3D printing with cementitious materials. Its printer (called "Vulcan") is running on rails (x-axis), while the y-axis (left/right) and the z-axis (up/down) are being controlled by a boom (hydraulically operated). Icon is fully focused on repetitive design of individual units. It is also an intention to build low income housing, Icon has already delivered such housing for a community in Mexico for people earning under USD 3 per day. The company has already built two dozen 3D-printed homes in the U.S. and Mexico including the first mainstream housing development of 3D-printed homes in the U.S. Icon also received funding from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA, Washington D.C., USA, to develop space-based construction systems for future exploration of the Moon.

We warmly welcome ICON to our community.

4. MBCC Group to Acquire TPH Bausysteme

Master Builders Solutions Deutschland GmbH, Mannheim, Germany (MBCC Group) has recently signed an agreement for the purchase of all shares of TPH Bausysteme GmbH, Norderstedt, Germany from owner/CEO Götz Tintelnot. TPH is s specialist for industrial waterproofing and injection products for underground (tunneling) operations. The company also offers concrete renovation and surface protection systems and is active in over 50 Nations worldwide, with warehouses in Europe and Asia. “TPH’s business fits very well with our portfolio, complementing our investments in the construction materials industry especially in the field of Underground Construction Solutions,” said Dr. Jochen Fabritius, CEO of MBCC Group. A transaction value was not disclosed by either party.

5. ABK Group Takes over Desvres Boussois

The Italian tile and architectural surfaces manufacturer ABK Group Industrie Ceramiche SpA, Finale Emilia (MO) has taken over the activities of Desvres in Boussios, France. Desvres started manufacturing traditional decorative tiles („faïences“) in 1863, and has since become a major floor and wall tile producer with a production of over 5 mio sq. m in 2020 (the turnover was 40 mio Euro then). ABK Group (brands: Flaviker, Ariana, Gardenia, turnover 150 mio Euro in 2020) is planning substantial investments into the Boussois plant of Desvres: „... (the capacity of) Boussois will be increased to 7 mio sq.m., (and will include amongst others) large formats up to 120 x 120 cm and tiles up to 30 mm thick , for the surrounding markets with high demand for such tiles, for example Germany“, said Alessandro Fabbri, responsible at ABK Group for marketing.

Since the 1960ies, Desvres also manufactures tile adhesives, grouts, other types of drymix mortars, construction products and application tools, today this activity is bundled in the company Cermix. Cermix operates three automated drymix mortar plants in Desvres, Feignet and Le Pontet (all in France), as well as production plants in Switzerland and Turkey. Cermix is not part of the deal.

6. Sika Takes over Supermassa

Sika AG, Baar, Switzerland has taken over Supermassa do Brasil Ltda, Pedro Leopoldo, Minas Gerais, Brasil. Supermassa (tradename BR Massa) has shown strong growth in recent year in the region Minas Gerais. The company offers a full range of tile adhesives and grouts as well a renders and putties both to wholesale outlets and in capillary retail stores. The transaction is still subject to the approval of local anti-trust authorities. A transaction value was not disclosed.

7. BASF Starts Up New Acrylic Dispersions Plant in Malaysia

BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, has announced the opening of a new acrylic dispersions line at their existing site in Paris Gudang, Johor Bahru, Malaysia. The new plant will double BASF Malaysia's dispersion capacity there (tradenames Acronal, Joncryl). Back in 2015, BASF began producing acrylic dispersions at Pasir Gudang for the coatings, construction, adhesives and packaging industries in the Asia Pacific region and ANZPac. "The first commercial quantities (from the new line) will be produced for our customers in March this year,” said Peter van der Zwan, director of ASEAN & ANZ Dispersions & Resins, BASF.

8. Baumit Continues Rebuilding its Plant in Wittenborn

Baumit GmbH, Vorderhindelang, Germany has announced a major reconstruction of its plant in Wittenborn, Northern Germany, strategically located near the major cities Hamburg, Kiel and Lübeck). The plant was bought and enabled in 2015, now Baumit announced investing another 13,5 mio Euro there. While the existing plant is running full force, a new fully automated drymix mortar plant with the nameplate capacity of 100.000 tons of drymix mortar per year will be built. Commissioning of the new plant is expected early in 2022.

WE KEEP BUILDING

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