| HS Code | 267903 |
| Product Name | Sika Confibre 19F |
| Product Type | Fibrillated micro polypropylene fiber |
| Material | Polypropylene |
| Form | Fibrillated fiber network |
| Color | Natural white |
| Fiber Length | 19 mm |
| Fiber Diameter | Approximately 0.02 mm |
| Aspect Ratio | Approximately 950 |
| Specific Gravity | 0.91 |
| Density | 910 kg/m³ |
| Melting Point | 160-170 °C |
| Ignition Point | >300 °C |
| Tensile Strength | 350-400 MPa |
| Modulus Of Elasticity | 3.5-4.0 GPa |
| Elongation At Break | 15-20% |
| Alkali Resistance | Excellent |
| Acid Resistance | Excellent |
| Water Absorption | Nil |
| Chemical Resistance | Inert to concrete alkalis |
| Thermal Conductivity | Low |
| Electrical Conductivity | Low |
| Magnetic Properties | Non-magnetic |
| Uv Resistance | Stabilized for concrete applications |
| Dosage | 0.9 kg/m³ typical |
| Packaging | 0.6 kg bags |
| Shelf Life | 5 years |
| Storage Conditions | Dry, protected from direct sunlight |
| Compliance | EN 14889-2 Type I, ASTM C1116 |
As an accredited Sika Confibre 19F - Fibrillated Micro Polypropylene Fiber for Use in Concrete factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | Sika Confibre 19F is packaged in 600 g bags, 12 bags per carton (7.2 kg total), for concrete fiber dosing. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | 20′ FCL container fully loaded with Sika Confibre 19F fibrillated micro polypropylene fiber, properly stowed and secured for concrete applications. |
| Shipping | Sika Confibre 19F ships as a non-hazardous, non-regulated solid in moisture-resistant bags or boxes, palletized and shrink-wrapped. Store in a cool, dry area away from direct sunlight and moisture. Handle with standard PPE; no special transport classification required. Use ordinary freight, avoiding punctures or torn packaging. Follow all local regulations. |
| Storage | Store Sika Confibre 19F in original, unopened, sealed packaging in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area. Keep away from direct sunlight, moisture, excessive heat, open flames, and ignition sources. Protect from crushing or contamination. Maintain good housekeeping; avoid dust generation. Use first-in, first-out rotation. Store at ambient temperature; no special ventilation required under normal conditions. |
| Shelf Life | Shelf life: 24 months from production when stored dry, in unopened original packaging, protected from direct sunlight at moderate temperatures. |
During elevated evaporation conditions in large-area ground slab placement, the progression from bleed-water sheen to meniscus curvature and capillary tension determines whether plastic shrinkage cracks initiate in the first 6 h after strike-off. Sika Confibre 19F is introduced at the batching floor as dry fibrillated micro polypropylene; the fibre is typically dispersed into the aggregate stream before cement addition, or into the truck drum with the first water charge, to prevent balling on wet mix fins. At a dosage of 0.9 kg/m³, the fibrillated network is used to reduce plastic crack width and length under ASTM C1579-21 comparative testing, although the reported reduction depends on paste volume, evaporation rate, and early-age tensile strength. Where evaporation rates exceed 0.5 kg/m²/h, supplementary measures such as wind breaks, fogging, or evaporation retardants still apply because the fibre does not reduce bleed-water loss. The final floor or pavement is finished with ride-on power trowels; the fibrillation is fine enough to leave a closed surface under burnishing, but delayed trowelling can expose surface filaments when initial set is missed. Compliance is typically referenced to ASTM C1116/C1116M Type III and EN 14889-2. The fibre is not a substitute for load-bearing steel reinforcement, and post-crack residual strength remains negligible.
| Application | Primary specification | Test method / procedure | Indicative dosage range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial slab plastic shrinkage control | ASTM C1116/C1116M Type III | ASTM C1579-21 | 0.6–1.2 kg/m³ |
| Wet-mix shotcrete | EN 14487-1, ACI 506.2R-13 | Sprayed panel sampling | 0.9–1.8 kg/m³ |
| Zero-slump precast concrete | EN 14889-2 | Plant surface finish and dimensional stability | 0.6–1.0 kg/m³ |
| High-strength fire spalling mitigation | EN 1992-1-2 | RILEM TC 200-HTC, ISO 834-1 furnace exposure | 1.5–2.5 kg/m³ |
| Non-shrink grout and repair mortar | ASTM C1107, EN 1504-3 | ASTM C939/C939M | 0.5–1.0 kg/m³ |
| Water-retaining concrete | EN 1992-3, ACI 350-20 | ASTM C231/C231M, EN 12350-7 | 0.9 kg/m³ |
In wet-mix sprayed concrete for rock support and temporary linings, Sika Confibre 19F is batched at 0.9–1.8 kg/m³ into the base mix before the concrete is transferred to the piston pump hopper. Fibrillated micro PP is less prone to plugging at the hopper screen than monofilament macro PP, but the increased apparent viscosity requires the pump operator to monitor hydraulic pressure at pipeline bends, particularly when the line exceeds 50 m horizontal length or 20 m vertical rise. Nozzle air volume is held at 7–12 m³/min, and accelerator is injected at the nozzle tip; the alkali-free accelerator dose is adjusted in 0.5% increments because early stiffening can trap fibres before they orient within the sprayed layer. Rebound is evaluated in accordance with the procedures referenced in ACI 506.2R-13; published field data indicate that rebound losses with fibrillated PP are mix-dependent and cannot be offset solely by increasing fibre content. The hardened sprayed concrete is usually specified under EN 14487-1, with compressive strength tested on cored samples from sprayed panels. When the fibre is added too quickly into a pan mixer, balling occurs at the mixer wall, and the batch must be extended by 60–120 s of mixing to re-disperse the fibrillated bundles. An incompatibility arises when the fibre is combined with high-dose powdered accelerators added at the hopper; unless the hopper is fitted with a vibratory screen, partially wetted fibre clumps can blind the screen and reduce output.
Precast concrete elements using dry-cast or zero-slump production tolerances rely on tight aggregate grading and low water-cement ratios between 0.30 and 0.40; Sika Confibre 19F is added at 0.6–1.0 kg/m³ in pan mixers, not truck drums, because fibre dispersion must be completed before the water content is fully absorbed by the aggregate surface. In block machine and paver extrusion, the fibrillated bundle opens under planetary paddle shear; an extension of dry mixing by 60 s is often sufficient to avoid visible fibre clusters on formed surfaces. The benefit in precast is primarily control of early-age plastic settlement at sharp edge profiles and around notches; it does not harden the element against structural flexure. In wet-cast concrete pipes and manhole sections, the same dosage range is used to reduce surface plastic tear near the riser and tongue-groove joints. The final product is demoulded on a fast cycle; because the fibre is hydrophobic, pre-drying of the fibre package is required when stored above 60% relative humidity to prevent clumping at the weigh hopper. Published data for exact extrusion-line fibre distribution with this specific fibrillated micro PP configuration is limited; full-scale plant trials remain the only reliable method for confirming surface finish and dimensional stability.
Concrete with characteristic cylinder strength above 60 MPa under EN 206, or 8,000 psi and above in ASTM C94 mixes, contains a denser pore structure that restricts vapour escape during rapid temperature rise. When such concrete is exposed to the hydrocarbon or ISO 834-1 fire curve, pore pressure can exceed the tensile capacity of the heated surface layer and produce explosive spalling. Polypropylene fibres with a melting point around 160–170 °C create an interconnected capillary network after melting and decomposition, allowing vapour to escape and reducing internal pressure. Sika Confibre 19F is therefore specified in high-strength tunnel segments, columns, and fire-resistant walls at an indicative dosage of 1.5–2.5 kg/m³, depending on concrete strength, moisture content, and section geometry. Full-scale furnace testing under RILEM TC 200-HTC methodology is required to validate spalling depth; published data for this specific fibrillated micro PP configuration should be generated by the project because fibre diameter, length, melting enthalpy, and distribution all influence the percolation threshold. The mixture must be fully dried below 4% moisture content by mass before fire testing, as residual free water increases pore pressure and obscures fibre performance. The dosage cannot be arbitrarily increased above the mix design tolerance because fibre addition above 3.0 kg/m³ may reduce workability and pumpability without proportional improvement in spalling resistance.
In repair and precision grouting, Sika Confibre 19F is batched at 0.5–1.0 kg/m³ into pre-bagged repair mortar or site-mixed non-shrink grout to limit plastic drying cracks at exposed edges and around baseplates. The mixing sequence is not interchangeable with conventional concrete: the dry fibre is dispersed into the dry cementitious blend before the first water addition because post-water introduction leads to hydrophobic fibre flotation on the high-flow mortar surface. A high-shear paddle mixer operating at 600–900 rpm is used for 3–5 min; the flow cone reading is then checked under ASTM C939/C939M or the equivalent EN 445 procedure. At 0.9 kg/m³, flow retention is generally maintained within ±5% of the control grout at 25 °C, but site adjustment of high-range water reducer is often required when the fibre is added to mixes already at the lower end of the water demand envelope. The final repair layer must comply with EN 1504-3 for structural repair mortars; the presence of fibres does not exempt the system from substrate preparation, roughness, and curing requirements. An operational boundary exists for pump-applied grouts: when a piston grout pump with a 25–38 mm delivery line is used, the fibre should be introduced at the mixer, not via dry injection at the hopper, because dry injection creates agglomerates that lodge at the pump ball-valve. In applications where alkali-reactive aggregates are present, the fibre itself is chemically inert and does not contribute to alkali-silica reaction.
When restrained thermal and drying shrinkage governs water-retaining concrete design under EN 1992-3 or ACI 350-20, Sika Confibre 19F is used at 0.9 kg/m³ in walls, holding tanks, and secondary containment structures to reduce early-age crack width and to delay visible crack formation, not to replace crack-inducing joints or waterstops. The fibre addition is compatible with integral water-resisting admixtures and with silica fume concrete typified by a water-binder ratio near 0.40; however, the fibre does not alter the low permeability class required for watertightness under EN 206 exposure classes XS2 or XS3. It is mixed in central batch plants and transported for 45–90 min; drum agitation at 8–12 rpm is maintained throughout transit to prevent fibre matting at the discharge chute. On site, the concrete is placed in 300–400 mm lifts with internal vibrators; because fibrillated fibres have negligible effect on consolidation, the vibration time should remain governed by the standard workability and air-content requirements checked under ASTM C231/C231M or EN 12350-7. At cold joints, the fibre-loaded concrete requires the same surface preparation as plain concrete, and no reduction in laitance removal should be taken.
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Sika Confibre 19F is a fibrillated micro polypropylene fibre for use in concrete. The product is designated by a nominal length of 19 mm and a specific gravity of 0.91. Manufacturer-published typical values include a tensile strength of 320 N/mm², a modulus of elasticity of 3.5 kN/mm², and a melting point of approximately 160 °C. Water absorption is below 0.1%. The packaging is normally configured as water-soluble bags containing 0.9 kg of fibre, allowing direct addition into the mixer without opening the bag.
The fibre is not a cylindrical monofilament. It is produced as an oriented polypropylene tape with longitudinal fibrillation that separates during mixing into a three-dimensional network of fine strands. At the upper recommended addition of 0.9 kg/m³, the fibre volume fraction is approximately 0.1% based on a polymer density of 0.91 g/cm³. This low volume fraction is sufficient for early-age crack control but insufficient for structural post-crack capacity. Under EN 14889-2:2006, polymer fibres for concrete are specified according to geometry and intended structural function. Sika Confibre 19F is positioned as a Class II micro fibre for concrete. In North American practice, the product falls within the Type III synthetic fibre category of ASTM C1116/C1116M. These standards address material requirements such as length, shape, and alkali resistance, but they do not establish structural post-crack residual strength values. If the project specification requires residual flexural strength, the applicable test methods are EN 14651 or ASTM C1609/C1609M, and a macro-synthetic or steel fibre must be specified instead.
Polypropylene is inert in the alkaline pore solution of concrete. Long-term durability screening under ASTM D543-21, with alkaline media representative of pore water, shows no measurable loss of fibre tensile strength after immersion. The controlling property for early-age crack control is fibre dispersion, not fibre strength alone; therefore the geometric fibrillation and 19 mm length are the product parameters that determine the number of fibre-cement contact points per unit volume of paste. Batch-level certificates under EN 14889-2:2006 should report fibre length distribution and linear density, because these values are used to calculate the number of fibres per cubic metre at the specified addition rate.
At equal dosage, the fibrillated tape geometry produces more contact surface per unit mass than smooth monofilament micro fibres of the same length. This does not necessarily translate to higher post-crack strength; it affects fresh-state dispersion and early-age paste anchorage. A fibrillated micro polypropylene fibre such as Sika Confibre 19F has an irregular, fissured tape structure that increases the effective surface area relative to smooth monofilaments. The comparative table below summarises the functional distinction for specification purposes.
| Parameter | Sika Confibre 19F | Monofilament micro PP | Macro-synthetic fibre | Steel fibre |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominal length | 19 mm | 6–12 mm | 30–65 mm | 30–60 mm |
| Density | 0.91 g/cm³ | 0.91 g/cm³ | 0.91–0.95 g/cm³ | 7.85 g/cm³ |
| Typical addition range | 0.6–0.9 kg/m³ | 0.6–1.0 kg/m³ | 3–6 kg/m³ | 15–40 kg/m³ |
| Primary performance function | Plastic shrinkage crack reduction and surface abrasion resistance | Plastic shrinkage crack reduction | Post-crack toughness and restrained-shrinkage stress transfer | Structural post-crack flexural capacity |
| Post-crack structural capacity | Not relied upon | Not relied upon | Moderate; measured via EN 14651 residual flexural strength | High; measured via ASTM C1609/C1609M or EN 14651 |
| Modulus of elasticity | 3.5 kN/mm² | 3–4 kN/mm² | 3–10 kN/mm² | 200 kN/mm² |
| Corrosion risk | None | None | None | Potential if exposed |
In design terms, a micro polypropylene fibre is specified when the dominant failure mode is plastic shrinkage cracking within the first 6–24 hours after placement. A macro-synthetic fibre is specified when the hardened concrete must retain residual flexural strength after cracking. Steel fibre is specified when post-crack load-bearing capacity or crack-width control is mandated by structural design. If the specification requires residual flexural strength values measured according to EN 14651 or ASTM C1609/C1609M, Sika Confibre 19F should not be substituted because the 19 mm micro fibre is outside the geometric and mechanical range of a macro-synthetic structural fibre.
In ready-mixed concrete, the addition sequence has a measurable effect on fibre distribution. The fibre should not be added to dry aggregates before water; this practice can create electrostatic clustering in the cement hopper and delay dispersion. The preferred sequence is to charge the fibre into the mixer after the concrete has been batched and before the final slump adjustment. Field observations on 9 m³ truck mixers show that a drum speed of 14–18 rpm during fibre addition produces acceptable dispersion, while speeds below 10 rpm are associated with localised balling at the blade root. A mixing interval of 1–2 minutes per cubic metre after fibre addition is typical. At 0.9 kg/m³, the slump reduction measured under ASTM C143/C143M is generally 10–30 mm. The plant should adjust the base mix before dispatch; retempering water should not be used at the discharge point because it modifies the water-cement ratio and reduces the plastic shrinkage cracking benefit.
Plastic shrinkage crack reduction is evaluated by ASTM C1579/C1579M-21. In restrained-slab tests conducted at evaporation rates above 1.0 kg/m²/h and at fibre addition rates of 0.6–0.9 kg/m³, documented crack area reductions for fibrillated micro polypropylene are 50–80% relative to plain concrete. The residual crack area depends on paste volume, wind speed, and finishing time; therefore a project-specific test under the same standard is required when the exposure condition is critical. Published data for Sika Confibre 19F at addition rates exceeding 1.0 kg/m³ are limited; a preconstruction trial in the intended mixer is required before exceeding the upper bound of the recommended range.
Air content should be monitored separately under ASTM C231/C231M when the fibre is used in air-entrained concrete. The fibrillation can influence air void stability, and the air-entraining admixture dosage may require adjustment. At the recommended dosage, the effect on compressive strength under ASTM C39/C39M is generally within the repeatability of the test method; the fibre does not provide a measurable strength increase and should not be specified for that purpose.
In wet-mix sprayed concrete, a dosage of 0.9 kg/m³ is used. The fibre is added to the mix before the accelerator and is dispersed by normal mixing. The 19 mm length is compatible with 50 mm delivery lines under standard concrete pumping pressures; blocking is not an expected failure mode at the recommended dosage. Because accelerator chemistry varies between alkali-free and aluminate-based products, and because accelerator addition changes the paste viscosity rapidly, the final mix should be verified by a spray trial on the project-specific pump and nozzle configuration. The product does not replace steel mesh or rock bolts in ground support design; it addresses early-age shrinkage in the lining. Any effect on rebound should be evaluated in the project spray trial rather than assumed from fibre type alone.
For precast elements produced in pan mixers of 0.5–1.0 m³ capacity, the fibre is introduced after the cement and aggregates have been combined, and the batch is mixed for approximately 60 seconds after addition. Compressive strength under ASTM C39/C39M is not significantly affected at the recommended dosage; the variation is generally within the repeatability of the test method. In architectural precast, a trial casting is required because fibrillation may produce a slight fibre visibility at the form face if the mix is stiff and the release agent is not optimised.
In screeds and floor toppings placed at 40–80 mm thickness, the lower bound of the dosage range, 0.6 kg/m³, is used to reduce plastic settlement cracking. Drying shrinkage is not suppressed by this dosage; curing compounds, wet curing, or controlled ambient relative humidity above 60% must still be applied according to the slab specification. The fibre should not be used to correct an improperly cured slab or to compensate for high water bleed caused by poor aggregate grading.
The compliance matrix below lists the standards typically referenced when specifying fibrillated micro polypropylene fibre for concrete. The matrix is a specification checklist, not a substitute for the manufacturer’s Declaration of Performance.
| Standard/condition | Designation | Relevant parameter | Product position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction Products Regulation | EN 14889-2:2006 | Class II polymer micro fibre for concrete | CE-marked under the manufacturer’s Declaration of Performance |
| ASTM International | ASTM C1116/C1116M | Type III synthetic fibre for concrete | Category-compliant for non-structural fibre reinforcement |
| ASTM International | ASTM C1579/C1579M-21 | Restrained plastic shrinkage cracking | Comparative evaluation of early-age crack reduction |
| ASTM International | ASTM C143/C143M | Slump retention | Trial batches during mix design adjustment |
| ASTM International | ASTM C39/C39M | Compressive strength evaluation | Confirm no negative effect at chosen dosage |
Operational boundaries include the following. The product is not a corrosion-protection system for embedded steel; chloride ingress testing under ASTM C1556 still governs concrete cover design. The product is not intended to reduce hardened drying shrinkage; length-change testing under ASTM C157/C157M remains the relevant method. The product is not a fire-protection fibre at 0.9 kg/m³; polypropylene micro fibres used for explosive spalling resistance in high-strength concrete are normally evaluated under fire test protocols at higher dosage rates, and published data for this specific product in that application are limited. Storage must be dry before use because the water-soluble packaging loses integrity if exposed to rain or relative humidity above 60%. The product should not be premixed with high-concentration accelerating admixtures outside the mixer; direct contact with admixtures may create local clumping.
For exposed slabs where plastic shrinkage cracking is the critical acceptance criterion, laboratory trial batches under ASTM C1579/C1579M-21 at the project-specific dosage, evaporation rate, and finishing schedule are the controlling verification method.
