Silica Fume
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Silica Fume ((also known as Microsilica) plays a vital role as a filler material in the gypsum board manufacturing process, helping to improve the final product’s fire-retardant properties and overall performance. This is because Silica Fume is an excellent fire-retardant material due to its high content of Amorphous Silica and its small particle size, which allows it to penetrate deep into the material and fill any gaps or voids.
When added to the gypsum board manufacturing process, Silica Fume helps improve the board’s fire resistance by increasing its density and reducing the number of combustible materials present.
Silica fume is a pozzolanic material that can react with calcium hydroxide and other minerals in the gypsum core to produce additional calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) gel. This gel can help fill in the pores and voids in the core, improving the finished product’s strength and durability.
Adding silica fume to the gypsum core can improve its water resistance, which can help prevent damage from moisture exposure. The silica fume particles can fill in the pores and voids in the core, which can help to reduce the amount of water that can penetrate the core and cause it to degrade.