| HS Code | 709358 |
| Material | 100% virgin polypropylene |
| Fiber Type | Monofilament |
| Length | 6 mm |
| Diameter | 0.018 mm (18 µm) |
| Aspect Ratio | 333 |
| Specific Gravity | 0.91 |
| Density | 0.91 g/cm³ |
| Tensile Strength | 400 MPa |
| Elastic Modulus | 3500 MPa |
| Melting Point | 160 °C |
| Ignition Point | 590 °C |
| Water Absorption | Nil |
| Alkali Resistance | Excellent |
| Acid Resistance | Excellent |
| Dosage | 0.6 kg/m³ |
As an accredited SikaFiber 618 PPM ZA - 6 mm Long Monofilament Polypropylene Fibers for Use in Concrete and Mortars factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | SikaFiber 618 PPM ZA is supplied in 600 g water-soluble bags, 20 bags per 12 kg carton for concrete and mortar. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | SikaFiber 618 PPM ZA, 6 mm monofilament polypropylene fibers for concrete/mortars, palletized and securely loaded into a 20′ FCL dry container. |
| Shipping | SikaFiber 618 PPM ZA is supplied in sealed paper/plastic bags or cartons on pallets. It is non-hazardous, non-flammable, and not regulated for transport. Store dry, away from ignition sources, at moderate temperatures. Ship in covered vehicles; protect from moisture, punctures, and contamination. Maintain package integrity and follow SDS, local regulations. |
| Storage | Store SikaFiber 618 PPM ZA – 6 mm Monofilament Polypropylene Fibers in original, unopened packaging in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area. Protect from moisture, direct sunlight, heat, and ignition sources. Keep bags sealed, palletized off the ground, and avoid crushing. Maintain temperatures between 5°C and 30°C. Do not stack above recommended height. Follow shelf-life guidance; use oldest stock first. Keep area clean. |
| Shelf Life | Shelf life is 24 months from production when stored dry, in unopened original packaging, protected from direct sunlight. |
In slab-on-grade construction where power trowels close the surface before initial set, plastic shrinkage cracking is governed by bleed rate, wind speed, ambient temperature, and the time window between screeding and finishing. SikaFiber 618 PPM ZA, supplied as a 6 mm long monofilament polypropylene fibre, is incorporated at a typical concrete dosage of 0.9 kg/m³, while low-cement-content mixes with 20 mm down aggregate may be reduced to 0.6 kg/m³ to avoid trowel drag and surface fibre visibility. The batch sequence is critical: the fibre is added to the aggregate stream or after the first portion of mixing water, and mixing continues for 4 to 6 minutes in a twin-shaft compulsory mixer or 8 to 10 minutes in a free-fall mixer at full batch capacity. Superplasticizer is introduced only after fibre dispersion is confirmed because a rapid slump increase can leave undispersed fibre bundles in the paste. The finished slab is a monolithic, machine-troweled concrete floor with reduced early-age crack width and improved surface integrity under maintenance traffic. Compliance for this sector is anchored to ASTM C1116/C1116M Type III synthetic fibres and ASTM C1579-21 plastic shrinkage testing; fibre uniformity is verified by wash-out sampling on three consecutive batches under the manufacturer's EN 14889-2 fibre content uniformity procedure. The material is not a replacement for load transfer across construction joints.
For non-structural precast elements such as cladding panels, planter walls, and utility vaults, the fibre is used to suppress plastic settlement and demolding damage rather than to provide post-crack structural capacity. A dosage of 0.9 kg/m³ to 1.2 kg/m³ is typical in self-compacting precast mixtures with a 0.35 w/c ratio and 8–10 mm maximum aggregate; flow table spread on the DIN EN 12350-5 test may drop by 20–40 mm depending on the polycarboxylate ether admixture formulation. The fibre is introduced in the central mixer after all aggregates and cement but before 60% of the mixing water is added, then mixed for 90 seconds in a planetary counter-current mixer with a 300 rpm central blade. External form vibrators operating at 50–60 Hz compact the face-mix panels, but vibration beyond 15 seconds per insertion point can carry filaments toward the surface. The terminal precast unit demoulds after 16–24 hours of steam curing at 50°C and exhibits a uniformly textured face without plastic cracking. Execution tolerances are checked under EN 13670, and fibre compliance is assessed under EN 14889-2:2006 as a polymer fibre addition. Published data for this specific product in face-mix precast is limited, so a plant trial with surface finish inspection is required before series production.
Under high-alkali self-leveling compounds, bleed water migration before final set can leave microchannels that reduce surface hardness and bond strength. In calcium sulfoaluminate-based self-leveling mortars applied at 3–10 mm thickness, the 6 mm monofilament fibre is normally dosed between 0.6 kg/m³ and 1.2 kg/m³, with the lower end in pump-applied 3–5 mm toppings and the upper end in 8–10 mm underlayment systems. The fibre is pre-packaged in the dry blend to avoid manual addition errors, and the dry mortar is blended in a continuous high-shear mixer at 250–350 rpm before site water addition. Water demand is adjusted with a polycarboxylate dispersant to hold a flow ring spread of 240–260 mm after 5 minutes, and the mixed material is pumped through a 25 mm internal-diameter rotor-stator pump at 20–40 L/min. The cured surface is a level substrate for vinyl, rubber, or ceramic finishes, with reduced plastic cracking at featheredge thicknesses. Flow and substrate requirements are checked under EN 13813 and compressive strength is measured under EN 13892-2. The operating boundary is sharp: addition above 1.2 kg/m³ can reduce flow enough to leave roller marks at low thickness, and published data for this specific configuration is limited, making site trial batching under thermal conditions mandatory.
For precision grouting beneath baseplates and within cable ducts, the 6 mm monofilament must not obstruct 1–2 mm clearance paths or pack around aggregate particles. A dosage of 0.6 kg/m³ to 0.9 kg/m³ is used in a cement grout with a 0.40 w/c ratio and 30% fly ash replacement by mass of cement. Mixing is performed in a colloidal mixer for 5 minutes at 1,500 rpm, followed by a 2-minute holding period to release air; the fibre is added after the cement and water have formed a vortex. Pumping through a progressive cavity pump at 10–15 bar is limited to hose lengths under 100 m because longer circuit lengths align fibres at bends and can produce filtration at reducers. The hardened grout layer, typically 20–50 mm thick, shows reduced plastic settlement cracks without loss of flow cone efflux time when measured under ASTM C939/C939M. Compliance for this sector is assessed under ASTM C939/C939M for fluidity, EN 196-1 for compressive strength, and the product fibre content is checked by EN 14889-2. In post-tensioning duct grouting, this product is not used unless the project specification expressly permits polymer fibres; some agency specifications restrict fibres in ducts due to the risk of blockage at anchorage transitions.
Because vertical and overhead repair mortars lose water through suction and evaporation at a faster rate than floor toppings, plastic shrinkage cracks can appear before the polymer-modified matrix has developed cohesion. In a polymer-modified cementitious repair mortar with a 0.38 w/c ratio and 3% styrene-butadiene latex solids, a fibre dosage of 0.9 kg/m³ to 1.2 kg/m³ is manually added to the dry mortar before liquid polymer and water are introduced. Mixing in a forced-action paddle mixer at 400 rpm for 3 minutes creates a cohesive, non-sagging mortar with a wet density of 1,950–2,050 kg/m³. Application by trowel in 10–20 mm lifts requires fibre orientation along the trowel direction; reversal of the trowel on the final pass buries filaments below the surface. The finished patch resists restrained shrinkage cracking when tested under ASTM C1581/C1581M ring test; no structural load-bearing claim is made. Compliance for repair mortars is aligned with EN 1504-3 class R2 or R3, subject to the specific formulation, and the fibre component is evaluated under EN 14889-2. The material is not a substitute for surface preparation or for reinforcing steel in structural repair sections.
In wet-mix shotcrete for temporary slope protection and tunnel advance support, the absence of mesh creates a reliance on early-age crack resistance because rebound and hydration heat combine to dry the surface. The 6 mm polypropylene monofilament is dosed at 0.9 kg/m³ to 1.5 kg/m³ of the base concrete, with the higher range used in mixes containing 8–10% silica fume by mass of cement. The fibre is added at the batching plant, not at the nozzle; monofilaments shorter than 12 mm have low rebound mass but can concentrate in the compressed air stream if added late. The wet mix is pumped through a double-piston shotcrete pump at 60–80 bar and sprayed through a 40 mm nozzle; rebound for the fibre-containing mix should be kept below 15%. A sprayed layer of 50–100 mm thickness is cured with a sprayed curing membrane and shows reduced plastic shrinkage fissures at day 1. Specification and execution are covered by ACI 506R and EN 14487-1, while fibre content uniformity is verified by wash-out sampling. For permanent structural shotcrete, this 6 mm microfibre does not replace macro-steel fibres or welded wire reinforcement, and published data for this specific product in high-C3A accelerated tunnel mixes is limited.
When autoclaved aerated concrete blocks are rendered in a single-coat system, differential suction at block joints can produce map cracking within 24 hours. The 6 mm fibres are included at 0.8 kg/m³ to 1.0 kg/m³ in a dry-mix factory-produced render, and this is the sector with the lowest allowable dosage variation because the mortar is applied at 5–12 mm thickness. Production uses a horizontal single-shaft paddle mixer with a 500 kg batch size and a cycle time of 120 seconds dry blend followed by 180 seconds after water addition; fibre content is checked by quartering sampling at five different points in the mixer. The wet render is transferred to a vertical screw conveyor, applied by stainless steel trowel, and finished with a plastic float. The terminal product is a monolithic render with low plastic cracking and improved resistance to impact damage from handling. Compliance for factory-made rendering mortar is assessed under EN 998-1, while fibre distribution is controlled under the manufacturer's internal quality plan aligned with ISO 9001:2015. This material is not intended for external thermal insulation composite systems where the reinforcing mesh is the primary crack-control element.
| Application sector | Typical addition range | Relevant standard or test method | Critical processing constraint | Operational boundary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machine-troweled concrete floor slab | 0.6–0.9 kg/m³ | ASTM C1116/C1116M, ASTM C1579-21 | Add before superplasticizer; mix 4–6 min in twin-shaft compulsory mixer | Not for load transfer across joints |
| Non-structural precast panels | 0.9–1.2 kg/m³ | EN 14889-2:2006, EN 12350-5 | Limit vibration to 15 s per point | Not a post-crack structural fibre |
| Self-leveling underlayment | 0.6–1.2 kg/m³ | EN 13813, EN 13892-2 | Pump through 25 mm rotor-stator at 20–40 L/min | Above 1.2 kg/m³ risks flow loss |
| Cementitious grout pack | 0.6–0.9 kg/m³ | ASTM C939/C939M, EN 196-1 | Colloidal mixer 1,500 rpm for 5 min | Excludes post-tensioning ducts unless specified |
| Vertical or overhead repair mortar | 0.9–1.2 kg/m³ | ASTM C1581/C1581M, EN 1504-3 | Paddle mixer 400 rpm for 3 min | No structural load-bearing claim |
| Pumped wet-mix shotcrete | 0.9–1.5 kg/m³ | ACI 506R, EN 14487-1 | Double-piston pump 60–80 bar; rebound below 15% | Not a replacement for macro-steel fibre |
| AAC render or plaster mortar | 0.8–1.0 kg/m³ | EN 998-1, ISO 9001:2015 | Single-shaft paddle batch 500 kg; 120 s dry, 180 s wet | Not in mesh-reinforced ETICS base coat |
Competitive SikaFiber 618 PPM ZA - 6 mm Long Monofilament Polypropylene Fibers for Use in Concrete and Mortars prices that fit your budget—flexible terms and customized quotes for every order.
For samples, pricing, or more information, please contact us at +8618112911328 or mail to sales1@liwei-chem.com.
We will respond to you as soon as possible.
Tel: +8618112911328
Email: sales1@liwei-chem.com
Flexible payment, competitive price, premium service - Inquire now!
In the specification of micro-synthetic fibres for early-age crack control, SikaFiber 618 PPM ZA is supplied as a 6 mm long monofilament polypropylene fibre for addition to concrete and mortar. The product designation PPM identifies the polypropylene monofilament geometry, and the suffix ZA denotes the South African regional configuration. SikaFiber 618 PPM ZA is therefore a regionally marketed member of the SikaFiber 618 range. The product is batched by mass and is intended to reduce plastic settlement and plastic shrinkage cracking before final set. Published product-specific values for this regional variant are limited in public literature; current dosage, tensile property, and conformity data should be confirmed against the manufacturer’s published data sheet. In normative terms, a micro-synthetic polypropylene fibre of this class is generally classified under EN 14889-2:2006 as a Class II polymer fibre, meaning that it is not used as primary structural reinforcement unless a specific post-crack load-resistance function has been demonstrated.
Because length is fixed at 6 mm, the product belongs to the micro-synthetic fibre category rather than the macro-synthetic fibre category. This distinction matters because fibre count per unit mass increases sharply as length and diameter decrease. A 6 mm monofilament therefore delivers a substantially higher number of individual filaments per kilogram than a 30 mm to 60 mm macro-synthetic fibre. The filaments are intended to intercept fine plastic-state cracks, not to bridge wide hardened-state cracks. When compared with fibrillated polypropylene, the monofilament form separates into discrete strands during mixing and does not rely on mechanical fibrillation to create surface area.
Plastic shrinkage cracking occurs when the rate of water loss from the exposed surface exceeds the rate of bleed-water migration, producing capillary tension in the upper paste layer. The restrained plastic shrinkage cracking test most commonly referenced is ASTM C1579-21. In that method, concrete is placed on a steel form insert with a stress riser and exposed to controlled drying; crack area is measured. Published studies on comparable 6 mm polypropylene monofilaments at addition rates from 0.6 kg/m³ to 1.8 kg/m³ report crack-area reductions of 40% to 90% relative to plain reference mixtures, depending on cement content, evaporation rate, and section depth. Published data for the exact PPM ZA product tested under ASTM C1579-21 conditions is limited; therefore, performance projections used in mix design should be confirmed by trial batching.
Settlement cracking above reinforcing bars and other embedments is controlled by the same fibre interception mechanism, provided the filaments remain suspended within the fresh mortar fraction. Because polypropylene has a density close to 0.91 g/cm³, the fibres do not settle like steel fibres, but they can float if added onto the surface of a high-slump mixture without mixing. Field-scale observations in pan mixers and twin-shaft mixers indicate that addition after the first aggregate fraction but before the cement and water reduces fibre balling. At batching rates above 1.8 kg/m³, clumping has been reported in single-shaft mixers when the entire fibre dose was discharged at once onto dry cement before aggregate addition. This is a batching-sequence failure rather than a fibre-matrix incompatibility.
The effectiveness of a 6 mm fibre at a given dosage is often evaluated in terms of spacing factor. For a comparable monofilament with class-typical diameter between 18 µm and 30 µm, the aspect ratio lies between 200 and 333. Higher aspect ratios increase the probability that a developing microcrack will encounter a filament, but they also increase water demand. Published data on comparable fibres show that plastic shrinkage crack reduction improves rapidly from 0.6 kg/m³ to 0.9 kg/m³ and then plateaus above 1.5 kg/m³; exact product-specific response of PPM ZA may differ.
At the weigh batcher, SikaFiber 618 PPM ZA is added by mass, either as loose fibre or in soluble packaging. In a 6 m³ truck mixer, an effective addition point is the aggregate boot or conveyor transfer point after the first coarse aggregate fraction. Discharge directly into a high-speed pan mixer with all mix water can cause the fibres to float on the water meniscus and adhere to the mixer lid before they are incorporated. Once wetted, the polypropylene surface does not absorb mixing water; the effective water-binder ratio is not changed directly by the fibre. Workability loss does occur through particle interference when the fibre count is high. Published rheological data for comparable 6 mm monofilament PP fibres show an increase in plastic viscosity of approximately 10% to 25% at 0.9 kg/m³, with only minor changes in yield stress. At 1.8 kg/m³, slump reductions of 20 mm to 40 mm have been reported; the exact PPM ZA response should be verified by EN 12350-2 or ASTM C143/C143M-20 tests.
In pumped concrete, a 6 mm monofilament at dosages up to 1.8 kg/m³ generally passes through 75 mm to 125 mm pump lines without obstruction; field reports indicate that fibre accumulation at a 90° elbow can occur when the pump rate is very low or the line is not primed. Reducing sections immediately after the pump outlet amplify the risk. These operational limits are not specific to the product but become more noticeable as fibre count increases.
In precast and ready-mix operations, fibre dosing can be automated through a vibratory or belt feeder interlocked with the aggregate weigh hopper. The feeder should be calibrated to a batching tolerance of ±5% of the target fibre mass to avoid under- or over-dosing. Batch-to-batch variance in fibre feed is most often caused by static charge in dry silos; the use of a destaticizer or anti-static packaging reduces bridging at the hopper throat. These field measures are relevant when the fibre is batched at the lower end of the dosage envelope, where a 5% error in fibre mass can shift the fibre count sufficiently to alter plastic-crack performance.
The principal difference between SikaFiber 618 PPM ZA and steel or macro-synthetic fibres is found in hardened-state residual strength. Class-typical elastic modulus values for polypropylene are in the 3 GPa to 4 GPa range, whereas steel fibres exceed 200 GPa. Because the fibre is 6 mm and low modulus, the residual load capacities measured by EN 14651 or ASTM C1609/C1609M-19a at micro-synthetic dosage rates are generally insufficient to replace conventional steel reinforcing bars or macro-synthetic fibres. Published beam-test data for the exact PPM ZA product is limited; it should not be specified for structural crack-width control based only on class-typical values.
| Fibre system | Nominal length | Typical published addition range | Dominant performance phase | Primary test methods |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SikaFiber 618 PPM ZA | 6 mm | 0.6–1.8 kg/m³ | Plastic-state shrinkage and settlement crack reduction | ASTM C1579-21, EN 14889-2:2006 |
| Hooked-end steel fibre | 35–60 mm | 15–60 kg/m³ | Hardened-state residual flexural strength | EN 14651, ASTM C1609/C1609M-19a |
| Macro-synthetic polymer fibre | 30–60 mm | 2–9 kg/m³ | Hardened-state crack-width control in slabs | EN 14651, ASTM C1609/C1609M-19a |
The ranges shown are class-typical published values; for SikaFiber 618 PPM ZA the exact upper and lower dosage limits must be read from the manufacturer’s current data sheet and confirmed by trial batching because regional formulations and packaging can vary.
Differences from fibrillated polypropylene are also technical. A monofilament fibre disperses as discrete filaments; a fibrillated fibre may open into a net-like structure under mixing. At equal mass addition, the shorter monofilament usually produces a higher fibre count, which improves plastic-crack interception but can reduce workability more than a longer fibrillated product. SikaFiber 618 PPM ZA is therefore selected when plastic settlement and early-age crack control govern the specification, not when post-crack flexural toughness is the primary performance criterion.
For specification writers, SikaFiber 618 PPM ZA can be referenced under ASTM C1116/C1116M-10a as a Type III synthetic fibre for concrete when used at manufacturer-recommended dosage. The European conformity route for polymer fibres is EN 14889-2:2006, which defines Class I fibres intended for structural use and Class II fibres intended for non-structural crack control. SikaFiber 618 PPM ZA is normally positioned as a Class II product unless the manufacturer has declared a structural performance class. The product should be accompanied by a declaration of performance where CE marking is claimed.
For steel fibre substitution, the density difference is 0.91 g/cm³ for polypropylene versus approximately 7.85 g/cm³ for steel. This means that at equal volume, the polypropylene fibre is approximately 8.6 times lighter, but the fibre count is correspondingly higher for a given mass. Unlike steel fibre, SikaFiber 618 PPM ZA is non-corroding and non-magnetic, which removes concerns about rust staining and electromagnetic interference in some installations. These advantages are limited to plastic-state crack control; they do not translate into equivalent structural capacity.
If a concrete element is required to carry tensile stress after cracking, or if the specification demands residual flexural stress values at crack mouth opening displacement of 0.5 mm and 3.5 mm under EN 14651, SikaFiber 618 PPM ZA should not be used as primary reinforcement. The short length and low modulus prevent meaningful load transfer across a wide hardened-state crack. In restrained shrinkage applications where hardened crack-width control is specified, a macro-synthetic or steel fibre system is likely to be required.
The product is not a substitute for conventional curing. When evaporation rates exceed 1.0 kg/m²/h, the curing measures described in ACI 305R-20 and ACI 308R-16 remain necessary. In hot-dry placement, fibre use alone cannot prevent plastic cracking if the surface is not protected, because bleed water can be removed faster than the fibre network can redistribute capillary stress. Published data for this specific configuration under extreme evaporation conditions is limited.
In cementitious mortar applications, the 6 mm length is compatible with thin sections, but the fibre should not be used as a replacement for structural mesh in load-bearing renders or screeds. Published data for this specific configuration is limited; trial applications are required when bond strength to a substrate is a governing property under EN 1015-12.
Compatibility with normal concrete admixtures is generally expected for polypropylene monofilament fibre. No adverse reactions with air-entraining agents, high-range water reducers, or set accelerators are documented in published field reports for similar fibre systems; however, the high-range water reducer should be added after fibre dispersion to avoid coating the filaments before distribution. When air-entrained concrete is specified, air content should be verified by EN 12350-7 or equivalent fresh-concrete air determination because the fibre can alter the rheology that stabilises air bubbles.
During finishing, the fibre may become visible if trowelling begins before bleeding ceases. A light steel trowel pass after the surface has lost its sheen is the standard method to close any exposed filaments; burnishing should be avoided where fibre-free architectural surfaces are required. Power trowel blade angle and pan speed are not ordinarily adjusted beyond normal practice for air-entrained concrete, provided dosage remains within the manufacturer-specified envelope. Trial finishing on a mock-up panel is recommended when off-form or polished surfaces are specified.
