Concrete colour by Ha-Be Bulgaria

The extensive colour range consists of powder pigments, granulates and liquid colours. It includes standard colours as well as individual colour adjustments requested by customers. The product development of the concrete colours is carried out in very close coordination with the parent company in Germany and is based on extensive knowledge of concrete technology solutions as well as the Bulgarian market.

All concrete colours by Ha-Be Bulgaria are characterised by very high stability and high resistance to UV and weathering. They are produced according to EN12878. This European standard requires that concrete colour is based on inorganic, synthetic pigments. These include iron oxides, chromium oxides, cobalt blue, titanium white and carbon-based black pigments. These raw materials withstand the alkaline environment of the cement paste and are resistant to weathering and UV. In addition, a distinction is made as to whether the colour is used in non-reinforced or steel-reinforced concrete. If the latter is the case, the chloride content of the colour must not exceed the permissible limit value in order to avoid damaging reactions such as steel corrosion.

Furthermore, Ha-Be Bulgaria is the only company in the entire Balkan Peninsula that has the technology to liquefy iron oxide-based powder pigments. For this purpose, the pigments are dispersed and stabilised with suitable additives. "The liquefaction of our powder pigments leads to enormous benefits for our customers. Liquid colours can be dosed extremely precisely, so that unnecessary material consumption can be avoided. Our liquid colours are very easy to mix. They quickly disperse and mix with the concrete. Compared to colour pigments, liquid colours can significantly reduce colour variations. The concrete gets a more homogeneous appearance“, says Galin Kolev, Managing Director of Ha-Be Bulgaria.

This results in optimised production processes, less rejects, and high cost savings. The dosing of the liquid colour is done with the help of a fully automated dosing system, which is manufactured in cooperation with the German partner company BM-Anlagenbau und Dosiertechnik GmbH. Currently, such a dosing system is being built for a large concrete manufacturer in Bulgaria. In the future, their concrete will be coloured with Ha-Be Bulgaria’s liquid colours. Kolev: "We are very much looking forward to this cooperation."