Technical Information

Composition and Materials : ColorFlo® Liquid Pigments utilize pure red, yellow, and black synthetic iron oxides. SOLOMON COLORS has expanded the color range by formulating laboratory controlled high tinting strength blends. Each of these colors is 95% to 99% minus 325 mesh particle size. SOLOMON COLORS iron oxides are permanent, inert, stable to atmospheric condition, sunfast, limeproof, and free of deleterious fillers and extenders. All SOLOMON COLORS pigments comply with ASTM C979 for integrally colored concrete and are produced and tested to an established plant standard.

Mixing
• Mixer should be loaded to a minimum of 40% capacity to ensure good color dispersion.
• The drum must be cleaned, and approximately two-thirds of the mix water and one-half of the aggregates needed should be added to the drum. Do not use slurry water or reclaimed aggregates.
• Be sure to use the same mix design and maintain 4” slump (10 cm), (low water-to-cement ratio). Higher slumps may be obtained by using water reducers or other similar admixtures. The use of plasticizers, water reducers and air entraining products designed for colored concrete production are acceptable. However Solomon Colors strongly recommends the use of test slabs to determine final color outcome.
• Add the Solomon Color ColorFlo liquid color to the drum and mix at full charging speed. Add the balance of the ingredients (water, aggregates, cement and admixtures) and mix at a full charging speed for 5 – 10 minutes (60-100 revolutions) before pouring concrete (6.13 – 7.36 m2 / L).
• After pour has begun, adding water to the load to improve workability often causes color variation.

Additives
• DO NOT use calcium chloride. This product can cause discoloration in the form of light and dark areas in the finished product. Non-chloride accelerators, including hot water are acceptable accelerators.
• Check the synergy of the mix design (plasticizers, water reducers and air entraining products) with the addition of color by pouring a test slab to confirm the preferred results. Job Preparation Good drainage and compacted aggregate add many benefits to decorative concrete. Pouring concrete over an inconsistent sub-grade or mix of dirt, plastic, wood, asphalt and existing concrete will not cure evenly. These types of sub-grades will force the majority of water to the surface to evaporate, causing efflorescence in those affected areas. In hot conditions, dampen the sub-grade before each pour to keep moisture from being absorbed from the concrete too fast. Keep the sub-base moisture consistent throughout the day without allowing the water to pool. Jobs requiring a vapor barrier and job sites having high heat and low humidity conditions are exceptions to pouring over plastic. Pouring concrete directly over plastic can lead to numerous problems including excessive bleed water, uneven drying time, shrinkage, cracking and efflorescence. Consider adding 2″-4″ of sand between plastic and concrete. If pouring directly over plastic, mix design may need to be altered. Slump and placement techniques require tighter tolerances, and finishers need to be well trained and experienced. For Vertical Applications (cast-in-place or tilt-wall): All forms should be cleaned thoroughly prior to use or reuse, and applied release agents should be non-staining. For best results, forms should be free of cement latents from any prior concrete pour of a different color. Also, vertical wood forms should be made of medium-density overlay plywood. For color uniformity, methods and material used in preparing the forms should be consistent through the completion of the job. Lightly and uniformly sandblastng vertical surfaces is highly recommended to remove minor form marks and any colored residue resulting from water, cement and coloring agents bleeding toward the forms during concrete placement.

Curing
• Do NOT fog or spray water on the surface during the initial curing period.
• Do NOT cover the surface with plastic.
• Failure to follow these guidelines can lead to uneven curing and coloration.
• Solomon Colors recommends one of the following

Curing Methods to be unitized:
1) BRICKFORM or LEGACY branded CURE AND SEALS that meet the ASTM Standards C 309 and C 1315 for curing most new colored architectural concrete flatwork. Apply at a rate of 250-300 sq. ft per gallon (6.13-7.36m2 per liter) once the slab is hard enough to be walked on without marring the surface. Do not apply these products in high heat, direct sunlight or in windy conditions. Please reference the appropriate cure and seal Technical Information Sheet for a full description of the product use, limitations and precautions. Links to these sheets and additional coloring information are available at www.solomoncolors.com.
2) If you desire to only Cure the surface without a Sealer, use Lythic Day 1. Approvals include ASTM C156 Water Retention Test, reduces water vapor transmission per ASTM F1869-MVER and reduces the amount of water vapors that emit through the slab per ASTM D4263 for power troweled colored concrete. After 28 days we recommend a sealer.

• Proper curing, along with maintaining a low slump and protecting the surface against water penetration, reduces the possibility of efflorescence. If efflorescence does occur, remove efflorescence using Brickform E-Etch or Legacy Eco-Etch. Follow with a light scrubbing or The use of a low r.p.m. rotary scrubbing machine.