The I-Cal Ultra is an advanced Isothermal Calorimeter for up to eight 20 ml sample channels of differential measurement with variable references. It is ideally suited for measurements that require a high level of precision or very long term testing.
The I-Cal Ultra can carry up to eight individual plug-and-play calorimeters. Users can choose the number of calorimeter cells they want to purchase, for example starting with a thermostat and two calorimeter cells and later buying additional cells at any time when needed, up to a maximum of eight cells. Each calorimeter can be taken out or plugged back into the thermostated chamber individually at the user’s discretion.
Calorimeter cells in the I-Cal Ultra are well isolated from one another by a wide air gap, which confers unparalleled precision and stability by completely eliminating any cross talk. The high precision thermostat spans a temperature range from 3 °C to 90 °C, with a stability of +/- 0.001 °C over an indefinite time period, thereby enabling very long term testing over periods of several weeks or months. The I-Cal Ultra’s baseline drift and noise levels are the best in its category among any cement calorimeters. Optional accessories are available for internal mixing and injection of water and admixtures.
Naturally, the I-Cal Ultra is fully compliant with ASTM C1679 (“Standard Practice for Measuring Hydration Kinetics of Hydraulic Cementitious Mixtures Using Isothermal Calorimetry”) and ASTM C1702 (“Standard Test Method for Measurement of Heat of Hydration of Hydraulic Cementitious Materials Using Isothermal Conduction Calorimetry”), ASTM C563 (“Standard Guide for Approximation of Optimum SO3 in Hydraulic Cement”), ASTM C1897 / RILEM R3 (“Standard Test Method for Measuring the Reactivity of Supplementary Cementitious Materials by Isothermal Calorimetry”), and EN 196-11 (“Methods of testing cement. Heat of hydration. Isothermal Conduction Calorimetry method”) .
Applications:
The I-Cal Ultra’s main uses are found in R&D and Investigative work on the properties of clinker phases, cement, pozzolanic materials, and other hydraulic binders or specialty materials, such as:
-
testing of individual clinker, or synthetic clinker
-
evaluation of pozzolanic reactivity over extended periods of time
-
resolution of sulfate imbalance issues
-
determination of the exact heat of hydration of cement (e.g. ASTM C1702 or EN 196-11)
-
complex sensitivity testing on variations in admixture or other material content
-
precise assessment of activation energy in geopolymers or other alkali activated systems
-
high or low temperature testing, from 3 °C to 90 °C
When to consider an I-Cal Ultra:
I-Cal Ultra is the right isothermal calorimeter for advanced research applications that require a very high sensitivity or stability over long testing periods, or when only small quantities of materials are available. It is particularly well suited for paste testing. It is the most convenient and complete instrument in the market for testing according to EN 196-11. For general mortar or concrete testing (including admixture formulation testing), we recommend our I-Cal HPC calorimeters.
