Aggrebind

Has anyone used aggrebind stabilizer for adobe, cob, or earthen plaster? Is it a petrochemical? Any chemists out there who know how its made and what its made of?

Hi Tim,

AggreBind is a cross-linked styrene acrylic polymer

Styrene is regarded as a "hazardous chemical", especially in case of eye contact, but also in case of skin contact, of ingestion and of inhalation, according to several sources.[4][11][12][13] Styrene is largely metabolized into styrene oxide in humans, resulting from oxidation by cytochrome P450. Styrene oxide is considered toxic, mutagenic, and possibly carcinogenic. Styrene oxide is subsequently hydrolyzed in vivo to styrene glycol by the enzyme epoxide hydrolase.[14] The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has described styrene to be "a suspected toxin to the gastrointestinal tract, kidney, and respiratory system, among others."[15][16] On 10 June 2011, the U.S. National Toxicology Program has described styrene as "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen".

Hello Tim & Bill,

The comment from Bill regarding styrene is quite misleading. Styrene acrylic polymer is different than ‘styrene’. From Wikipedia, "The presence of the vinyl group allows styrene to polymerize. These materials are used in rubber, plastic, insulation, fiberglass, pipes, automobile and boat parts, food containers, and carpet backing."

If styrene acrylic polymer was a hazardous material it would not be used in carpet backing (babies crawl on carpet) or food containers (we all use food containers).

AggreBind is a cross-linking styrene acrylic polymer that is used for soil stabilization and for making blocks, bricks and pavers. AggreBind is classified internationally as a non-hazardous material. AggreBind has been used around the world, including environmentally sensitive countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Ecuador, Peru, Aruba, Costa Rica.

Cheers,
Rob Friedman
President
AggreBind Inc.
www.aggrebind.com

If styrene acrylic polymer was a hazardous material it would not be used in carpet backing (babies crawl on carpet) or food containers (we all use food containers).

I suspect that quite a few of us here would avoid such food containers, and carpet backing.

How does it compare in the big picture to lime or concrete as stabilizing agents in rammed earth or cob? Carbon footprint, effectiveness, toxicity, cost, ease of use.

I am enough of a realist to know I can't afford perfect.

Hey, that's neat, to have the president of the company here. Thanks for chiming in, Rob!


It may be helpful to have the MSDS here:
http://aggrebind.com/technical/material-safety-data-sheet/

Thank you Bill and Rob for your response to my inquiry. Looking over the material presented by aggrebind creates some hesitant excitement at the prospect of low energy stabilized adobe. Portland cement production is energy intensive to the extreme and while it is a natural material it, like lime can cause serious injuries on the job. I have read about enzyme based stabilizer like Terazime and understand that ceb are still prone to "bloom" when wet and demonstrate very little improvement in compressive and tinsel strength. How does aggrebind measure up to enzyme based stabilizer? Can it be used in adobe style production as well as ceb? If this product lives up to its claims the potential for its use, in the first world as well as the third, is tremendous. I am looking forward to learning more about its uses and testing it out. Where can I buy it in small quantities?

So how waterproof is this stuff?

If you made a CEB vault, would it be sufficiently waterproof to serve as the finished roof?

Hm, this page about roof tiles kind of addresses it:
www.aggrebind.com/bricks/roofing-concept/

So, have there been any Aggrebind tile roofs built yet?

This is fascinating.