Химфлекс-3С

Tile joint grout Himflex-2F is designed for tile joints filling with width from 3 up to 10 mm and while making protection from aggressive chemicals with single-piece acid resistant articles (acid resistant ceramic tile, acid resistant brick), for facing the surfaces of the building structures and buildings. It can also be used for lining of technological equipment. Tile joint grout application in food industry premises is possible (without direct contact with food).

This material is designed for intended use and is applied strictly according to given recommendations.

After hardening tile joint grout has the following technical properties:

• Allows to create durable tile joints resistant to abrasion, severe mechanical loads and with heat resistance (up to +120° С);
• Has good resistance to the majority of mineral and organic acids in low and average concentrations, alkalis, oils, oil products and water (water absorption in 24 hours - 0,2%);
• Has limited resistance to some solvents (see list of epoxy compositions resistance);
• Prevents shrinkage cracking all the way through the joint (dry residue is 97 %);
• Material is easy to apply and to finish after thorough components mixing;
• High water resistance and tile joints impermeability, easy to clean and hygiene;
• High resistance to fungal decays;
• High adhesion to different construction materials (ceramic, porcelain stoneware, glass mosaic, products made from fused basalt);
• Extended tile joint grout mixture viability up to 60 min (when air temperature in the room during the works is +20°С).

APPLICATION

Himflex-3C is applied with special spatula made from hard rubber or flexible metal spatula. For complex surfaces (with porous structure and roughness) it is recommended to cover tile surface along joint contour with masking tape or any other identical material (e.g. paper tape) or to treat tile along joint contour with wax or paraffin before tile joint grout application.

After tile joint grout application tile surface is cleaned with a damp sponge. In case of cleaning delay or if composition has already started to harden (more than 60 minutes) tile surface can be cleaned with 10 % solution of spirit or solvents: acetone, toluene. If tile joint grout has already hardened (after 3-4 hours), tile surface cleaning can be extremely difficult and could only be done by mechanical means because composition weakly reacts with solvents and spirits. Composition operation time depends on ambient air temperature. It is important to take into consideration that temperature of facing materials and surfaces could be extremely different from  temperature in the premise. Recommended tile joint grout application temperature is in the range from +18º С up to + 25º С. At the optimal temperature of 20º ± 2º С composition operation time is approximately 60 minutes. In this hardening conditionssurface can be used in just 24 hours. In case of lower temperatures (up to+12º С) operation with tile joint grout can be much more difficult (epoxy resin increase viscosity at temperature decrease) and the possibility of surface can increase and reach 72 hours.

JOINTS PREPARATION

Joints shall be dried and cleaned from dust and glue residue before tile joint grout application. They shall be dry (residual moisture of not more than 10%) and have rectangular cross section. Tile joints must have width from 3 up to 10 mm and be cleaned from glue residue for not less than 2/3 of their depth.

MIXTURE PREPARATION

Tile joint grout preparation is done by thoroughly components mixing on the worksite. For doing this it is essential to open the bucket with ingredients B (viscous liquid) and pour it into the bucket with ingredients A (thick paste). These ingredients shall be mixed with a mechanical mixer or low-speed electric drill with a special mixing head to form a homogeneous mixture without stripes and lumps. Special attention shall be paid to mixing tile joint grout near the walls and bottom of the bucket. Manual mixing of tile joint grout components is not recommended.

DECORATIVE FRAMING OF JOINTS CONSUMPTION

Recommended joint width while tile fitting is from 3 mm. Joints of smaller width make their further decorative framing difficult.

MANUALS

• Not recommended for construction joints filling (for this purpose the usage of chemical resistant sealant Himflex EPU 510 is more preferable);
• Use mixer or drill with special head while mixing components;
• Clean tile surface before composition hardened;
• Do not expose Himflex-3С to solvents earlier than in 1-2 weeks after application (depending on air temperature in the premises where works are carried out).

SAFETY REGULATIONS

• Wear protective gloves and glasses while working with composition;
• If skin contact occurs, area should be immediately and thoroughly washed with water;
• If exposed to eyes, eyes should be immediately and thoroughly flushed with water and seek medical attention immediately.

TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE

• Tile joint grout components (Ingredients A and B) shall be stored in sealed containers in covered storage rooms;
• In case of tile joint grout transportation and storage at the temperature lower than 0º С, unpacking of containers shall be made not earlier than in 24 hours after their conditioning at the temperature of 25º ± 5º С.

TOOLS CLEANING

Tools can be cleaned with acetone according to safety regulations on this category of substances.