With all the talk about “green” products lately, it’s only natural that somebody has created an eco-friendly reinforcement fiber for concrete.
The synthetic fibers of NyconG, from New Nycon Inc., are made from 100 percent reclaimed post-consumer and post-industrial waste carpet.
“The performance is quite similar to virgin products,” says Paul Bracegirdle, director for New Nycon. “It’s equivalent to fibers made from their pure original form. We had it tested by an independent lab, and the results show compliance with the AC32 requirement for crack control.”
Back when Bracegirdle was trying to determine how to create a greener product, the federal government and carpet manufacturers were trying to come up with a way to increase recycling of waste carpet because of the quantity that was going to landfills.
“It was an obvious choice for us to research,” says Bracegirdle.
And just in case you needed an extra reason to go green, NyconG also contributes to obtaining project certification for the LEED program, as well as opportunities for tax credits to architects and owners.
Designed for both decorative or construction purposes, NyconG is a well-graded blend of nylon fibers (3/4 inch to micro-length). Although it is made in two types, with either nylon or polypropylene-grade fibers, the majority of the stock is nylon, which means it will not float.
“It has no limitations,” Bracegirdle says. “It can absolutely be used on countertops or in decorative concrete.”
Although not decorative in and of itself, NyconG was recently used in a large-scale project at The Heldrich Hotel and Conference Center in New Brunswick, N.J. Bracegirdle says the project was constructed with approximately 500 architectural precast concrete panels. “Those panels were produced with a very special precast concrete that included our NyconG green fiber,” he says.
Also in Nycon’s lineup of green fibers are NyconG Nano and NyconC. NyconG Nano is made from recycled carpet fibers just like the original NyconG, but it is made up of a microscopic blend of nylon fibers. NyconC is made up of cellulose fibers.
Bracegirdle also says that despite NyconG’s earth-friendly properties, it works just like all Nycon’s other nylon or polypropylene fiber-reinforcement products.
“It’s exactly the same as the virgin fibers that it comes from,” he says.
www.nycon.com
