Architects & Designers

Product Information for Architects & DesignersPRODUCT SPECIFICATION

Pigments for Integrally Colored Ready Mix, Precast and Cast-in-Place Concrete

Product Names

Granastar® Granular Pigments for Concrete

Interstar Powder Pigments for Concrete

Manufacturer

Interstar Pigments, Admixtures and Fibers

Addresses:
USA:
530 Madison Avenue
Junction City, Illinois 62882
Canada:
4255 Portland Boulevard
Sherbrook, Quebec J1L 3A5
Description

Granastar® granular pigment are pure iron oxides and are designed specifically for use in cementitious materials, from concrete products to ready mix applications. Granastar is a free-flowing, granular synthetic iron oxide which is ideal for use in automatic dispensing systems because it creates very low dust. Granastar granular pigment is certified ASTM C979 for integral coloring.

Interstar Powder Pigments are pure iron oxide pigments designed to be used specifically in integral coloring of cementitious materials. Interstar colors are certified to ASTM C979 standard for integral coloring

Interstar’s pigments for integrally colored concrete are manufactured to exacting standards. All of our products undergo rigorous quality control procedures and tests to be 100% sure they meet or exceed our standards, which are the highest in the industry.

Interstar has been developing and manufacturing pigment for integrally colored concrete products for over 30 years. In particular, we have perfected granular pigment for ready mix concrete, and granular pigment dispensers. We design and manufacture all of our own dispensers, and have hundreds of systems operating worldwide, backed by nearly two decades of proven reliability.

Benefits

Economical - Interstar pigments are formulated to give high tinting strengths, meaning less pigment is needed to achieve the color you want.

Reliable – Interstar pigments deliver consistent results batch after batch.

Easy to Use - All of Interstar’s pigments for ready mix concrete can be packaged in disintegrated bags that are simply placed into the ready mix truck – no extra work, mess or waste.

Environmentally Friendly – There is no waste. Interstar colors are 100% pigment. There are no totes that require special handling, or the need for costly circulating pumps.

Factors Affecting the Color of Concrete

Concrete is one of the most enduring building materials in the world. It has been used to construct some of history’s most iconic structures - The Colosseum, The Pantheon and Sydney Opera House – to name a few. Over the past fifty years, the use of integral color has transformed concrete from a basic building block to a decorative element.

Integral color brings out concrete’s unique and natural beauty. Concrete is unique because no two pieces are the same. Many factors affect its appearance –mix design, finishing techniques, curing methods, color of aggregates, sand and cement, weather conditions, temperature, and the amount of water used.

In turn, all of these things can affect its color. Integral color is not like paint. The results will not be uniform because concrete is not uniform. Integral iron oxide pigment enhances concrete’s uniqueness and is as durable as concrete, itself. It won’t fade or wear away.

Concrete contractors and producers have learned how to manage these variables to transform dull, gray concrete into works of art. As a result, architects and designers are finding decorative concrete an attractive medium for both outdoor and indoor projects.

WHAT AFFECTS COLOR?
Best Practices (especially for ready mix applications)
Choosing a Color

ALWAYS pour a test sample with your mix design to be certain the desired color can be obtained.

NEVER choose a color from an online color chart or from an electronic PDF. NEVER.

Professionally printed color charts should be used as a guideline ONLY.

Use an Interstar Ready Mix Color Kit to select a color.

Select a color in the same lighting (e.g., indoors or outdoors) in which the concrete will be poured.

General

Always use a qualified decorative concrete contractor with experience in integrally colored concrete.

A test pour is highly recommended to make sure the results will meet your expectations.

Avoid projects that require several small pours.

Avoid pouring on different days.

Weather

Don’t pour concrete when rain (or any precipitation) is forecast within 48–72 hours.

Don’t pour concrete when the temperature is below 50 °F (10 °C).

Concrete

Use a mix design suitable for your specific application.

Don’t use fly-ash or slag in the mix design. It will affect the color.

Make sure that every truck contains the same number of yards/meters of concrete.

NEVER ADD WATER to the ready mix truck on site. NEVER.

Finishing

NEVER ADD WATER to the surface. NEVER.

Make sure that the concrete is an even thickness throughout.

Finish all surfaces within the same timeframe after placing.

Be sure the concrete is finished in the same direction when troweling.

Never finish with long-handled Fresno trowels.

Never use dirty or wet tools.

Don’t over-finish because this may darken the surface.

Curing

Make sure that the concrete cures evenly and consistently.

Make sure all areas dry at the same rate to avoid differences in color.

Keep in mind that wind can affect the rate of curing and the final color of concrete.

Keep in mind that concrete poured in shaded areas will be a different temperature than concrete poured in unshaded areas. This may result in color variations.

Don’t fog the surface with water.

Don’t use wet coverings, plastic sheeting, waterproof paper or liquid membrane curing compounds.

Sealing

Wait at least 36 hours before applying a cure & seal.

Allow the concrete to dry fully prior to application of sealer (approximately 30 days).

Never use a water-based sealer on stamped concrete.