NAP - Membrane Brick

Membrane Acid Brick Floor
	Design
	Specifications
	Materials
	- Floor Brick - Membrane - Mortar - Expansion Jts.
	Maintenance

The basic components of a corrosion-resistant brick floor suited for immersion-duty service, such as found in battery plants, are:

Floor Brick

Red Shale brick are resistant to practically all corrosive solutions found in battery plants. Red Shale brick should not be used where they will be exposed to hydrofluoric (HF) acid or concentrated solutions of hot caustics. The above link will take you catalog pages from our two primary suppliers, Belden Brick Company and Summitville Tiles, Inc.

Membrane

The membrane is the core of the corrosion resistance found in acid brick floors, and is a vital step in obtaining a long lasting, trouble-free installation. Both floor brick and mortar have measurable absorption (porosity) and will, in time, allow corrosive solutions to penetrate them to the surfaces below. The membrane stops this penetration from proceeding to the concrete sub-floor. The above link will take you to Data Sheets for the membrane systems of two of our long standing suppliers, Atlas Minerals & Chemicals and Henkel Surface Technology.

Mortar

The mortar that will be used to joint the floor bricks must be carefully chosen for it's resistance to all expected service conditions. This link will take you a page where we discuss 3 different chemical families of mortars, each with some unique properties for service in battery plant flooring. From that page, you can link to Manufacturer's Data Sheets for the two brands of each mortar type.

Expansion Joints

All domestically produced red shale floor brick have an inherent characteristic of "irreversible growth", which causes an acid brick floor to expand and stress itself over time. If this movement is not relieved, a floor can expand and "heave". Therefore, expansion joints are designed into an acid brick floor to accept this brick growth. Expansion joints are, by design, the weakest point of acid brick floors. Both the physical and corrosion-resistant strength of the expansion joint compound must be compromised to absorb the expected movement of the brick floor.