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HOW DOES XYPEX WORK?
To create its crystalline waterproofing effect, Xypex must become an integral part of the concrete mass. It does so by taking advantage of the natural and inherent characteristics
of concrete; concrete is both porous (capillary tract system) and chemical in nature. By means of diffusion, the reactive chemicals in Xypex use water as a migrating medium to enter and travel through the capillary
tracts in the concrete. This process precipitates a chemical reaction between Xypex, moisture and the natural chemical by-products of cement hydration (calcium hydroxide, mineral salts, mineral oxides, and
unhydrated and partially hydrated cement particles). The result is crystallization and, ultimately, a non-soluble crystalline structure that plugs the pores and capillary tracts of the concrete. In this
condition, the pores become discontinuous and the concrete is thereby rendered impenetrable by water and other liquids from any direction. The Xypex crystalline process will reactivate whenever water is present.
The crystallization process that Xypex causes within the pores and capillary tracts of concrete is illustrated below in electron microscope photos taken by an independent research team.
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