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Why Adhesion Promoters?

Bitumen is used in road construction industry due to its adhesive property. However, bitumen has low chemical affinity towards aggregates, while aggregates have high affinity to water. Wetting of aggregates is difficult in the presence of dust or water-wet aggregate as it is difficult for the oily bitumen to displace the present water.

Water may also enter into the pavement structure, by way of capillary action from subgrade, rainfall seeping through cracks and shoulders, or by the action pressing and pumping effect of the water caused by the front and back tyres of vehicles. The presence of water compromises the adhesion between the aggregate and the bitumen, resulting in stripping. This causes moisture induced damage thereby resulting in premature failure of the road. Therefore, bitumen additives are used to improve the adhesion between the aggregate and bitumen, which is vital for maintaining a longer pavement service life.

Adhesion Promoters, also known as Antistripping agents, are additives generally added into hot bitumen. Upon addition, they migrate to the aggregate bitumen interface, where they act as binding agents/glue, thereby increasing and reinforcing the adhesion between the aggregate surface and the bitumen, thus preventing the penetration of water into the aggregate surface. The choice of adhesion promoters depend on factors such as the type of the aggregate and bitumen being used.

ZycoTherm is a next generation Antistripping agent that reacts with the residual moisture on the aggregate surface, to provide better wetting and coating of bitumen. It forms a permanent chemical bond with the aggregate and improves the adhesion between the bitumen and aggregate. The permanence of the bond formed ensures that the adhesive property does not deplete over time.

ZycoTherm is compatible with all aggregate and bitumen types, works at significantly lower dosages and is an environment friendly additive that is non-corrosive and odour-free.

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Screen Printing: Importance of Choosing a Right Screen in Textile Fabric Printing

Screen printing is one of the most popular printing techniques used in a wide range of industries, including textiles. It is the process of pressing ink through a stenciled mesh screen to create a printed design. Special screen printing ink or water-based printing ink are used in this technique. The core of the screen printing process involves a fine mesh or screen, which is the most crucial part of the printing process. A small difference in the screen can make or break your brand due to the quality of the print. Consequently, it is salient to select and create an ideal screen for printing.

Before we talk about screens, it is important to know the concept of mesh count. A screen is nothing but a fiber cloth. Mesh count of a screen indicates the number of fibers present in one square inch of the fabric. A mesh count of 110T means 110 fiber threads are present in one square inch of the fabric. Mesh count varies from one fabric to another fabric. Generally, it starts with 40T fabric and goes up to 200T. Lower mesh count indicates an open or coarser screen, while higher mesh counts are denser and have lesser openings between them. This means lower the mesh count higher will be the ink deposition through screen leading to heavy or bulk deposition and higher the mesh count lesser will be the screen print ink deposition leading to finer prints. The mesh count may also affect the feel of the printed substrate. Therefore it is important to select an ideal screen mesh for good quality printing.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT MESH FOR YOUR SCREEN

25T – 40T Mesh: They are used for large particle size inks such as glitter paste, pearl paste, etc. The coarser mesh will allow the glitter particles to pass easily through the substrate, thereby leading to heavy ink deposition.

40T – 60T Mesh: Use them for finer glitter design where the particle size is 8mm and below.

80T – 110T Mesh: They are used for speciality printing inks such as puff, silicon ink etc. The design of speciality print may vary from line to blotch dots. Select screen size as per the design.

110T – 160T Mesh: They are the most commonly used screen meshes for printing. Screens on the lower end of the mesh count spectrum put down heavier ink deposits and are ideal for printing under bases or printing bold colors on dark fabrics. At the higher end of the mesh count spectrum, you can print a more detailed image while maintaining a fair ink deposit.

160T Mesh and above: Screens beyond 160 mesh count are used for printing finer print designs giving a sharper look and softer feel. Inks are prone to choking in these screen meshes when they tend to dry. Make sure to select ink having a slower drying profile. You can add retarder whenever required to avoid screen choking.

TIPS FOR IDEAL SCREEN MAKING:

      • Use yellow color (dyed) fabric for high mesh counts to get good exposing as white fabric scatter more light leading to under-exposing of screens.
      • Stretch the bolting cloth and leave it for 15 minutes. Let the bolting cloth relax in between stretching. Stretch the bolting cloth again till it is tight enough.
      • Use tension meter every time while a screen cloth is bolted. Try to keep the tension in between 25 to 30 N/cm for better print results. A loose screen may give uneven ink deposition on the substrate.
      • Attach the fabric to the frame with the use of epoxy type adhesive only.
      • Measure the tension with the help of tension meter in both the directions at all measuring points (25 TO 30 N/CM)
      • During screen exposing use a silver foil on the inner sidewall of the exposing table to get more exposure.
      • Exposing table surface should be clean. There should not be any scratches on the glass surface.
      • Use exposure calculators for measuring the time of exposure. Over and under exposure would affect your final print. For finer mesh counts keep exposing time a bit longer than usual time.
      • The emulsion coating must be performed in the darkroom under extremely stringent conditions. No extraneous light can be allowed into the room.
      • Use automatic emulsion coater so that the emulsion is spread evenly. Uneven emulsion coating will lead to uneven printing on the substrate.

The steps mentioned above will ensure that the screen is flawless and will be ideal for printing.

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Concrete Joint Sealant

Concrete Joint Sealant

To prolong the life of the structure and maintain its beauty and durability even when the most important concrete structure has damaged, the solution is to repair it and provide it with the strength of a monolithic structure.

When the concrete layer/surface/floor gets damaged, the only options available are either repairing it or building a new one after demolishing it. Demolishing and creating a new surface is not always possible due to many factors, which include the availability of space for the new construction, load on the structure, etc. Even though a new surface is created, the characteristics of the new surface will be polylithic surface.

It will never have the physical and chemical characteristics of a monolithic surface. Removal of the floor and re-pouring of it is not economic and also takes a lot of time. It will also be a waste of resources if the flooring is still structurally sound. Hence, the only option left is of adding a new/fresh layer of concrete on top of the old surface.

Cold Joints

The major requirement of the new/repaired structure is to not have any weakness or failure points. Due to a lack of concrete bonding, these structures are generally vulnerable to failure/fracture/cracking at the joints between the new and the old surface/structure. These joints are called Cold Joints.

In technical terms, a cold joint is a plane of weakness in concrete caused due to interruption/delay/new structure formation in the concreting operations. Because of these joints, the new and old surface does not act as one and the load or any impact is not evenly shared between them. In this situation, these joints act as weak points and are the most vulnerable for failure/fracture/cracking.

The same phenomenon is observed during the laying of a new PCC/RCC structure and also during tile fixing. During the extension of buildings or section-wise structure creation, the PCC/RCC structures are generally left with these cold joints, which is the main cause of structural damage and failures.

During Tile/Marble/Stone fixing operations, the same polylithic surfaces/structure are created resulting in non-monolithic strength and hence, leading to cold joints. These joints are the main cause of structural damage and failures leaving to Tile/Marble/Stone falling off the structure.

Cold Bond – Concrete Joint Sealant from Zydex

To address these structural and joint problems, Zydex provides a set of concrete or cement bonding solutions that can be applied on the surface easily for achieving the monolithic strength and properties. Cold Bond is a concrete joint sealant from Zydex that can be applied on the old surface (with just a use of brush and do not require any other equipment) and then the new construction can be carried out. This concrete or cement bonding solution will create a bond between the two surfaces that allows them to reach monolithic strength.

ZycoFix from Zydex

Similarly, Zydex provides a separate solution – ZycoFix for Tile/Marble/Stone fixing application. These solutions are very easy to use, user-friendly and can be applied by just using a brush. To apply ZycoFix Stone, Marble or Tile Adhesive, no extra application machinery is required and can be done at any location without any extra time requirement.

These applications also do not necessarily require skilled labour and can be done very quickly.
Hence, the problems of cold joints at both concrete to concrete structure or/and Tile/Marble/Stone fixing applications can easily and economically be solved using Zydex solutions.

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Key Role of Leveling Agents and Wetting Agents in Textile Dyeing Industry

The market acceptance of the fabric depends on the fabric appeal (comfort). Fabrics are not just intermingling of yarns but they are product of precise manufacturing process where the processer faces hurdles in form of complex designs, shade variations, manufacturing defects, variation from standard etc.
Dyeing is a process of colouring fibres, yarns, or fabrics with either natural or synthetic dyes. This colouring is done by use of wet and dry processing techniques. In case of wet processing, textile material is coloured by bringing it in contact with the dye solution.

Some of the key parameters affecting the dyeing process are surface tension, capillary effect, surface unevenness, polar action etc.

Non-uniform patchy dyeing occurs due to:

  • Substrate deformity
  • Poor processing conditions
  • Incorrect dye stuff selection

Hence to overcome this hurdles, dyeing & leveling chemicals like levelling agent, dispersing agents along with wetting agents are used.

Levelling agents

Levelling agent are chemical agent’s that work on the dye molecule and help in fixing the dye particles uniformly which enables to obtain uniform shade. Levelling agents are also termed as retarding agents or retarders.

Key role of levelling agent in dyeing:

Levelling agent are key for successful dyeing in situations where dye tends to rush on to the substrate giving non uniform dyeing.

Levelling agent competes with the dyes having affinity towards substrate. Hence they slow down the dye uptake of the substrate enabling production of uniform colour. Hence, they are also called retarding agents

Type of levelling agents

This surface active agents and may be anionic, cationic or non-ionic organic compounds. Accordingly, they are used for varied substrates as detailed below.

Substrate type Ion type Type of dye
Wool, Nylon, Cationic Basic, Acid, MetalComplex, Reactive
Acrylic, Wool, Nylon,Substrate type Weakly cationic Acid, Mordant, MetalComplex
Wool, Nylon, Polyester Nonionic/Cationic Direct milling, Metal Complex, Disperse
Wool Anionic Acid, Mordant, Metal Complex, Reactant
Cotton Cationic/Polymeric Vat, Sulphur
Wool Amphoteric Acid, Mordrant, MetalComplex, Reactive
Cotton, Wool, Nylon, Polyester Non-Ionic/Anionic Azoic, Vat, Direct milling, Metal Complex, Disperse
Cotton, Wool, Nylon, Polyester Weakly Anionic Acid, Direct, Disperse
Polyester Anionic/Cationic Acid, Metal-Complex

For Synthetic and its blends, generally the levelling agents are used that can withstand higher temp of dyeing, Say 130°C. These are the condensates of ethylene oxide and higher fatty alcohol, fatty amines.

Cloud point is very import while deciding levelling agent. The solubility of levelling agents in water reduces with increase in temperature and at a certain temperature they become insoluble. This temperature is called cloud point.

Zydex manufactures single component multi-functional product “Zycol DL” which is next generation surface active material for improving dispersing & levelling action of disperse dyes on substrates like polyester fibres, yarns and fabrics.

This new chemistry enables better dispersion of disperse dyes in water at high temperature.
Moreover the product has high cloud point which enables better levelling and brightness

Wetting agents

Another important auxiliary used in dyeing are wetting agents. Wetting agents are basically surfactants that lower the surface tension of a liquid, allowing easier spreading, and lower the interfacial tension between two liquids.

Each wetting agent molecule has a hydrophilic (water-loving) head a hydrophobic (water-hating) tail.

They help in accelerating the wet ability of material in solution & thus help in easy penetration of dyes into substrate.

Zydex Industries manufactures low and high molecular weight polymeric surfactant based wetting agents that provide excellent cleaning action for waxes and oils from cotton as well polyester surface. The wetting agents make the fiber surface clean and help improve the solidity of reactive and disperse dyeing.

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Zydex Biofertilizers
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Zydex Biofertilizers: The Next Generation Agri Technology

The practice of uncontrolled use of chemical fertilizers over the past many decades has resulted in damaged soils, reduced fertility, harmful chemical riddled produce and has a negative impact on the environment. In order to address this problem, Zydex has developed a new generation bio-fertilizer technology that has the ability to improve soil health and biology leading to improved water and nutrient uptake without the need for external harmful chemical inputs. This has been proven time and time again and the results are clearly visible from the first cycle itself as witnessed by thousands of farmers till date.

So what are bio-fertilizers? Biofertilizers are farm inputs that contain microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi that act as an inoculum to aid in reviving soil biology and activity leading to improved nutrient uptake. However conventional bio-fertilizers are not able to revive the soil biology fast enough to be able to reduce chemical dependence leading to lower yields associated with conventional organic farming. The Zytonic Bio-fertilizer Technology improves soil porosity and softness leading to an optimum environment to boost soil biological growth and activity at a much faster pace. The results are clear… the Zytonic Bio-fertilizer technology has the ability to maintain and even increase yields with zero chemical fertilizer inputs from the first season itself and this is what sets it apart. Zytonic treated soils have high and sufficient biological activity in the form of beneficial bacteria, fungi (mycorrhiza), protozoa and nematodes that continuously recycle nutrients already present in the soil thereby eliminating the dependence of chemical fertilizers. Another key feature due to improved soil health and porosity is an extended white root zone and a large active rhizosphere to increase the surface area of water and nutrient absorption.

The organic certified Zytonic biofertilizer Technology is an excellent alternative to chemical fertilizers as they improve soil health, crop yield, and are environmentally friendly leading to safe, nutritious and plenty food for all.

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Troubled by frequent water leakage & seepage?

We have long-term & economical waterproofing solutions

For a construction to sustain a longer life, every small things which damage the structure should be taken care of. One of the most critical and most neglected of these is waterproofing of the structure.

The lack of knowledge regarding this leads to leakages and seepages in the structure due to unintentional cracks created on the structure surface causing entry of unwanted water in the structure and damaging its construction. If not taken the initial signs seriously, these cracks and water seepage can lead to major cracks and structural damages in future and can even lead to structure failure.

Water damage also leads to decay and deterioration of the structure. To stop this entry of unwanted water in the structure is done with the process of waterproofing. In this process the water loving nature of the surface is transformed to water repelling nature and will result in no unwanted water entry.

Most waterproofing chemical solutions provided in the market are like a structural film on the surface and do not form a chemical bond with structure. With time the surface is exposed to different temperatures, climatic conditions and wearing which leads to peeling of the film or even cracking of the film leading to new crack formation on the surface and exposing the surface unwanted water entering situation. These waterproofing chemicals do not provide complete waterproofing rather only provide temporary solution via film formation done using physical adhesion.

To solve this problem and provide a long term solution for waterproofing helping to maintain the health and looks of the structure, Zydex industries provide a penetrative nanotechnology solution which forms a chemical bond with the surface. This solution penetrates the existing cracks and treats them to make them water repelling in nature. The solution is 100% silane and reacts with the structure surface and forms a chemical bond which does not get effected by temperature, climate change and wear. This solution also prevents involuntary cracking of the surface and make the whole surface hydrophobic i.e. water repelling in nature.

This also solves the other problems like leakages, seepages, paint peel-off, falling of tiles and stones from the surface, efflorescence and further structural damage. It also provide UV, Heat and Abrasion stability and safe to apply indoors. The application is very simple and do not require trained labour. The solution can be sprayed, brushed or flooded after mixing with water and has a large coverage area. The waterproofing chemical solution provided by Zydex is not only for the exterior surface but also for interior surface and also replace the fragile membrane technology with a waterproofing membrane technology. The product can be used on Terrace, Slabs, Basements, Sunkens, Retaining walls, Balconies, Water tanks, Utilities etc. The waterproofing chemical bonding solution provided is a nanotechnology solution:

• With excellent penetrative results,
• Is economical in use,
• With large coverage area both vertically and horizontally
• Is eco-friendly in nature and provides sustainable solution.

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Microsurfacing Asphalt Manufacturer

Microsurfacing is a thin layer of finely graded crushed stone, mineral fillers, asphalt emulsion and water blended together in proper proportions, spread on the road surface. It is very similar to slurry seal.

Micro-surfacing helps seal the cracks and protects the existing bituminous layers from surface voids & minor ruts, and provides a protective cover from oxidation and moisture ingress. Micro-surfacing is also provided in order to improve skid resistance of the existing surface thus increasing the service life of the pavement. A small amount of additive may be added at times, to improve the setting properties and adhesion of the micro-surfacing.

Microsurfacing is distinct from slurry seals. It hardens much quicker and can be applied in places where there are zero or minimal chances of placing slurry seals. Micro-surfacing can be ideally used on roads that handle substantial vehicular movement. It preserves the underlying pavement structure, while providing a fresh new surface for driving.

Factors for considering Micro-surfacing application

  1. Micro-surfacing can be applied on roads that have low or moderate damage and narrow width of cracks.
  2. Streets with lot of shade are preferred for micro-surfacing
  3. Roads with heavy amount of traffic are suitable for micro-surfacing
  4. It is typically applied on a project-specific basis

Some of the major advantages of Micro-surfacing include:

Environment-friendly: Micro-surfacing is an environment friendly alternative as it requires relatively low energy, emits no pollutants and is applied at ambient temperatures.

Quicker Construction Times: The surface can be opened within hours of micro-surfacing and it gives the appearance of an all-new surface.

Reduced Delays: Micro-surfacing can be performed on roads with high, medium or low traffic volume, without causing any major delays.

Cost Effective: Micro-surfacing covers more area per tonne of mix, thus making it a cost-effective alternative.

NanoTac offers excellent bond strength & delivers water resistant mixes for micro surfacing. These additives impart rapid setting to the bitumen emulsion, saving the time required for micro surfacing.

For further assistance on Zydex Micro-surfacing products, please contact us!
E-mail: info@zydexgroup.com | Phone: +91-265-3312000

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Water Soluble Fertilizers

Water Soluble Fertilizers, Hard soils and declining productivity is and will be the biggest challenge faced by farmers in the years to come. We all understand that the uncontrolled used of chemical inputs and unsustainable farm practices is the main culprit; however, the solution is far from clear and understood.

Bio-fertilizers have been around for many decades now, but the technology hasn’t been able to single-handedly replace these harmful chemical inputs. Moreover, the abundance of fake products in the market has left farmers hopeless and apprehensive to try anything new. As a result, farmers feel that there is no option but to apply these inputs in large quantities in order to sustain their yields and livelihoods.

Zytonic-M is a new generation biofertilizer technology, which has the ability to break this toxic cycle. What makes it unique in comparison to others is that it can directly cut 50% of the chemical fertilizer input from the first use, whilst delivering higher yields and quality produce. Apart from establishing mycorrhizal connections with the crop, this water soluble fertilizer helps to improve soil structure and softness, which increases soil water holding capacity as well as aeration.

This, in turn, allows the local soil biology to proliferate and actively provide a constant source of (previously unavailable) nutrients to the plant, which are already present in the soil. A constant and adequate supply of water and nutrients throughout the growing season is the key to any successful crop. This is exactly what Zytonic-M, a water-soluble fertilizer, is able to efficiently achieve by utilizing the systems already put in place by Mother Nature. “Back to the basics” and allowing natural processes to take over is the key!

Zytonic-M Benefits:

• Increased yield (15-50%)
• High produce quality
• Reduction in irrigation (20-30%) and drought resistance
• Reduction in chemical fertilizers (50-100%)
• Reduction in pesticide consumption (20-40%)

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The Basics of Textile Sizing – Explained!

What is Sizing?

Production of ‘quality’ fabric economically and efficiently is key aim of any textile company.Sizing is an intermediate protective process which is done to prepare the yarn for the weaving process. The process of applying a protective adhesive (synthetic/ natural) coating upon the yarns surface is called sizing. This adhesive can be single shot sizing chemical or a blend of multiple chemicals to achieve desired properties.

Advantages of Warp Yarn Sizing in Weaving:

Below are the key advantages of warp yarn sizing prior to weaving.

  1. To bind the yarn by adhering the fibers together and hence improve yarn strength.
  2. To cover outer yarn surface for improving abrasion resistance of the warp yarn.
  3. To lubricate the yarn surface for reducing friction during weaving process by preventing inter yarn entanglement and surface abrasion. This reduction of friction helps to keep the yarn intact and hence better fabric quality.

Sizing Process in nutshell:

  1. Yarn Sizing is carried out by passing the warp yarn sheet through size box containing the pre-prepared sizing chemical. The warp sheet is passed through tension roller, immersion roller, sizing roller and squeezing roller respectively in sow box. This is followed by subjecting the yarn sheet to drying cylinders heated through steam where the water is evaporated from yarn surface and sizing chemical forms a film on same.
  1. Next the yarn sheet is passed over the after waxing roller to coat the sizing chemical film with extra lubricants for hairiness control and ease of weaving.
  1. After drying and after waxing, the warp sheet is split so that the yarns regain their individual identity before they are wound on the weaver’s beam.
  1. Splitting is required because warp sheet coming out of the drying section adhere to each other depending on the efficiency of the pre-drying section. Chromium coated Lease rods split the warp sheet in a systematic manner so that the yarns which are stuck together by dried size are separated.
  1. After the splitting, the warp sheet is finally wound on the weaver’s beam. The warp sheet passes through an adjustable reed which can be expanded or collapsed based on the width of the beam.

Zydex had been pioneer in field of textile sizing. We have a wide range of products for sizing of spun yarn as well as filament yarns.

Zydex had been at the forefront of innovation for polyester sizing products. Today, Zydex has the leadership position in hot water dispersible polyester resin technology for sizing and weaving of polyester multi filament yarn on high speed weaving machines. This polyester based sizing chemicals have been engineered to exactly replace acrylic size and work at lower SPU but more importantly use the same desizing recipe with caustic and soap for desizing with excellent results. Our products form nano-level dispersion that results in outstanding filament-to-filament bonding.

In a similar way Zydex has been catering the spun sizing industry by providing modified thin boiling starches and additives. Along with sizing chemicals, Zydex also offers a complete range of eco-friendly textile printing solutions, which give excellent functional and aesthetic properties to finished fabrics and garments. For more information on our polyester sizing products and textile printing solutions,
call: 1800-3000-7144

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Soil Stabilisation Techniques

The role of soil is crucial for the design and construction of any structure, be it roads, runways or railway tracks. This is because it acts as the medium for effective load transfer in to the earth. This implies that a weak soil base will eventually cause settlement of the structure, leading to failure.
Stabilisation is the process of improving the engineering properties of the soil before construction. Stabilisation is done to improve the strength of the soil and shrink/arrest the swelling potential, thus improving the load bearing capacity and the overall performance of the in-situ soils.

There are 3 main methods for soil stabilisation:
1. Mechanical stabilisation

This category consists of physical processes such as compacting or tamping with machineries including rollers or rammers. The mechanical soil stabilisation is also achieved by blending (adding or removing) different soil particles so as to obtain effective distribution of soil particle. These techniques are usually used for sub-base and base courses.

2. Chemical Stabilisation

As the name suggests, stabilisation of soils depends on the chemical reaction between the chemical/stabiliser used and the soil particle composition. These include, Cement, Lime, Magnesium Chloride, Bitumen Emulsion and Fly Ash among others.

Traditionally and widely practiced type of soil stabilisation techniques include:

i. Bitumen Emulsion
Bitumen emulsion is used as a binding agent both cohesive as well as non-cohesive soils. However, in soils with finer grain sizes, this method may no longer be cost effective as the soil particles require a high dosage of bitumen emulsion in order to provide the same/better level of bonding. Bitumen emulsion is not environmentally friendly and becomes brittle when it dries, which affects the stability of the soil.

ii. Cement/Lime
Cement/Lime is widely used as a soil stabilising agent. Addition of cement to soil improves the strength of the soil. It is used for the sub-base and base courses of all types of pavement. However, due to the consequent wet and dry cycles, there occurs a degradation of the bonding between the cement and soil particles. Also, this is a very costly in terms of financial viability. Lime stabilisation improves the strength of the soil by imparting increased bonding between the lime and soil particles. This method is cost effective as compared to cement stabilisation.

iii. Apart from the above mentioned stabilising agents, some other alternatives currently in practice include Fly Ash, Cement Kiln Dust (CKD), Tree Resin and Ionic Stabilizers.

3. Polymer Stabilisation

Polymer soil stabilization refers to the addition of polymers to improve the physical & engineering properties of soils (Polymer Soil Stabilisation, 2019).
Polymers tend to increase the strength of the soil through their interaction with clayey particles present in the soil. Many polymers currently used, tend to increase the water retention capability and the shear strength of the soil.
Polymers used for soil stabilisation can be classified into two main categories viz. Biopolymers and Synthetic Polymers. Biopolymers are eco-friendly as compared to other chemical soil stabilisers.

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