Exide Corporation

Location: Reading, Pennsylvania

Structure: Exide Corp, Battery Plant

Problem

The floor area covering 800 sq ft is adjacent to the battery filling production line. Sulfuric acid has flowed onto the concrete floor over a period of time and caused surface erosion and subsurface contamination and deterioration. Exide wished to restore the floor so that the battery filling line can be relocated there.

Solution

Surtreat Corp. contacted Exide Corp. to supply the materials and technical consulting required to stabilize the floor in preparation for performing surface repairs and to treat the repaired surface to inhibit further attack and penetration of the concrete floor by Sulfuric acid.

The Surtreat Corp. technical representative determined that the floor had been sufficiently neutralized, purged, stabilized and cleaned to be in suitable condition for surface repairs. It was recommended that some of the concrete adjacent to the curb separating the floor area from the acid filling line be removed, since pH tests showed that acid was migrating under it. It was also recommended that the floor be vacuumed again and moistened prior to making repairs or pouring a new surface and that a 6-inch-deep concrete curb be placed between the treated floor area and the acid filling line to prevent further sub-floor contamination.

SURTREAT® is a proprietary, water based, environmentally friendly solution of activators and migratory aids that inhibits rebar corrosion, increases strength and reduces porosity in reinforced concrete.

SURTREAT® Solutions

• Inhibits salt, water, air and contaminates from penetrating the concrete and forms a better seal in the pores and micro cracks

• Controls pH and maintains the high alkalinity in the  concrete and is highly acid resistant

• Migrates to the rebar in liquid and ionic phase and reacts to form a very stable passivating film – more stable than in new concrete

• Converts rust to a stable, inert compound – and increases compressive, flexural, and tensile strength. Also increases hardness and abrasion resistance