Vitro Minerals

Vitro Minerals has developed a new pozzolan from recycled reinforcement fiberglass. In addition to being recycled, VCAS is white, has very low water demand and is 100% amorphous (free of crystalline silica), and has a very low alkali chemistry.

VCAS™ pozzolans are "green" construction materials made from industrial by-products that help contribute to the sustainability of cement and concrete. VCAS™ pozzolans use in concrete replaces an equal amount of cement resulting in energy conservation and emission reduction from cement manufacturing. For every ton of cement manufactured, about 3.5 million BTUs of energy are consumed and one ton of carbon dioxide is released.

Many cities and government agencies require LEED green building certification for new public buildings. Improving the durability of concrete with recycled content reclaimed from local/regional sources and reducing heat island effects with the use of light-colored/high reflectivity materials help earning LEED points toward achieving a greater level of LEED certification

VCAS™ pozzolans are made from Vitrified Calcium Alumino-Silicate material having low alkali content, consistent chemistry, uniform color and a wholly amorphous (glassy) state caused by rapid water quenching of the extruded molten material. After primary sizing and drying, the feed stock is finely ground and processed through high efficiency classifiers to produce a fine bright white powder with quality assured physical properties. The consistent chemical composition and tightly controlled particle size distribution concrete applications. Currently, the VCAS™ patented technology produces pozzolans in two grades: VCAS 8™ and VCAS Micron HS™.

VCAS 8™ is commonly used in systems with low w/c ratio and steam cured or warm weather curing conditions where the lower reactivity associated with an 8 micron median particle size is sufficient for the application. VCAS Micron HS™ has a much finer particle size and has the reactivities normally associated with silica fume and metakaolin with the advantage of being white in color. Both VCAS™ grades exhibit approximately 10% lower water demand than silica fume or metakaolin, and can be used at cement replacement levels of up to 30%.