Colored concrete masonry blocks can be used for new buildings which need to blend in with centuries-old buildings or to accentuate an architectural effect: Buildings with integrally-colored concrete masonry blocks have a higher visual appeal than their grey counterparts.

The choice of pigment is of major importance for the quality of the end-product. Years of tests on colored concrete products exposed to different climatic conditions all over the world have shown that inorganic oxide pigments have particularly good fastness properties.

Pigments from the product ranges Bayferrox® and Colortherm® can be used to add color. They display high quality levels in terms of color strength and color consistency. Because of their chemical structure, these products are highly weather stable, lightfast and UV-stable and are very well-suited for the coloring of construction materials At the same time the LANXESS production processes ensure low environmental impact. The shades tend towards the opaque colors found in nature, and thus fit harmoniously with the environment. Pure colors like yellow can be made by using white cement. Brilliant, glossy shades, like those obtained in plastics and surface coatings, are very difficult to produce in building materials because of the composition and structure of the concrete.

The Global Competence Center Construction will gladly answer individual customer inquiries with respect to this field of application or provide further information about LANXESS pigments.