ACI Journal 2007
Chemical Curing
Penetrating sealers that react with the concrete such as silicates, siliconates, and the special formula products also marketed as liquid hardeners have also been used for curing with very good results. Silicates can exhibit an inability to effectively retain sufficient moisture when curing because of their too deep penetration characteristics. A lot of the success of the siliconates mixture is contingent on the slab design and application to the slab after the pour. Some Hybrid Siliconates have been very successful as they tend to bind up the free lime with better pore blocking capability. These systematic siliconates are pretty stand alone and usually come with a higher price tag. All in all a balanced siliconate / organo siliconate looks to be a viable alternative to high performance curing.
