The P-Cal is a high performance semi-adiabatic calorimeter with high efficiency insulation to achieve close to adiabatic conditions. The P-Cal is the only high performance semi-adiabatic calorimeter that is so portable it can easily be carried  in concrete delivery trucks or other field applications. Don't be fooled by its size: the quality of the insulation gives the P-Cal 1000 laboratory-level quality, with precise and replicable measurements. Best of all,  it's incredibly cost effective and easy to use.

P-Cal 1000 can be used to test concrete, mortar or paste in a standard 4”x8” (100 mm x 200 mm) cylinder or any standard container that fits inside. P-Cal measures changes in temperature, a proxy for heat released as cement is hydrating. Because of its ultra-high performance insulation, It closely mimics the conditions encountered in the core of mass concrete applications. 

P-Cal’s superior insulation also means that tests can be done in repeatable and controlled conditions, and for test durations of up to 28 days. Repeatability makes it possible to use the P-Cal to make predictions of compressive strength development, and to compare tests conducted on different days or at different locations. 

 

P-Cal 1000 is typically used for the following applications: 

•  estimating compressive strength or setting times in lieu of physical testing (*)

•  troubleshooting and studies of adverse material interaction

•  rapid screening of materials, e.g. different sources of cement, or brands of admixtures 

•  robustness testing (how performance holds up to variations in material dosages) 

•  mix design optimization

•  admixture formulation

 

(*) Beyond traditional uses of semi-adiabatic calorimeters, P-Cal can be used in combination with Calmetrix’s CalCommander software to infer compressive strength and setting times using calorimetry curves. This proves to be useful in a number of situations, more specifically to infer compressive strength and set time values for large test matrixes, when physical testing is either impractical or too costly (test results needed outside of normal laboratory hours, or when a laboratory is not close by). Typical applications are: the development of new admixture formulations, advanced mix design optimization or complex research projects