Shanghai Kenal Chemical Company – a leading Chinese manufacturer and provider of a range of construction solutions – is looking forward to enhancing the role it plays in the region’s construction and manufacturing industries by establishing a presence in the region.

“Towards this end, the company will soon be opening its regional office in the Dubai Free Zone,” says a spokesman.
Established with the backing of seven chemical enterprises, the company says that its core business is in the manufacture and distribution of construction chemicals, as well as chemicals required for water treatment and swimming pool accessory, which it has been successfully supplying to customers across the globe.
“Kenal has established a long relationship with many international well-known companies as well as developed technical cooperation with domestic and overseas professional chemical institutes. Our objective is to provide our customers with the best technology and quality-assured products,” he says.
He adds: “Kenal offers a wide range of innovative specialty construction chemicals and materials that include: calcium nitrite, sodium gluconate, stannous sulphate, lignin, persulphate, sodium thiocyanate, silica fumes, polynaphthalene sulphonate and non-explosive demolition agents among others.
“Our range of products help make concrete stronger, crack resistant, and cost efficient. We also offer support to a wide range of industries that include refractory, paper, plastic, rubber and chemical.”
Silica fume: “Silica fume is an ultra-fine powder consisting of nearly spherical particles around 100 times smaller than a grain of cement. When introduced into concrete, these fine particles assist in filling the voids that exist between the cement paste/aggregate matrix.
“Moreover, silica fume reacts with the free lime which is present in all OPC (ordinary Porland cement) concretes to form additional quantities of strong-binding CSH (calcium silicate hydrate) gel. CSH is the principal binding component in OPC concrete. By replacing weak-binding lime with more CSH, silica fume significantly enhances the overall compressive strength of the mix – which in turn, helps in refining the pore structure of the concrete,” the spokesman explains.
Calcium nitrite: Calcium nitrite is an effective corrosion inhibitor which always improves corrosion resistance.
Polynaphthalene sulphonate (PNS): Polynaphthalene sulphonate – sodium salt of polymerised naphthalene sulphonate – is a highly-effective anionic superplasticiser for solid particles in water, he continues.
The spokesman elaborates: “Polynaphthalene sulphonate can reduced the water content in concrete by 20 to 30 per cent, which improves the workability as well as the compressive strength of concrete, making it as strong as granite. It also acts as a disperser in the process to mix hydrophilic and hydrophobic material.
“Polynaphthalene sulphonate is also used in the production process for pigments, synthetic rubber, agricultural medicines, whitening materials and paper making as well as tanning materials in the leather industry,” he adds.
Sodium gluconate: This white to tan, granular to fine, crystalline powder, is highly soluble in water and can be used in concrete and mortar setting retardants.
Customised range: “Our company has a strong R&D team that helps us meet the requirements of our customers. The research team is built around qualified specialists with excellent technical skill, who strive to enhance our competitiveness in this era of limitless competition,” he concludes.