Calmetrix I-Cal 8000 User Manual

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CALMETRIX INC.

I-CAL 8000 ISOTHERMAL CALORIMETER FOR CONCRETE AND CEMENT

USER MANUAL

IMPORTANT SAFETY RULES

• Caution: Always hold the lid with one hand when loading or

unloading calorimeter or lock lid in place to prevent it from

falling and pinching fingers.

• Never operate the calorimeter or temperature control unit in a

wet environment.

DISCLAIMER

Calmetrix does not assume any liability as related to the accuracy, relevance or interpretation of results while using I-Cal or the CalCommander software.

This User Manual is subject to copyright and may not be reproduced in whole or part without permission.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

__________

A. BEFORE YOU START USING THE EQUIPMENT …………………………………. Page 7

B. GENERAL USE …………………………………………………………………………. Page 9

C. HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS ………………………………………………………….. Page 9

D. CALIBRATION……………………………………………........................................... Page 10

E. OPERATING YOUR EQUIPMENT – I-CAL LOGGER ……………………………… Page 11

F. SAMPLE PREPARATION AND RECOMMENDED TEST PROCEDURE ……….. Page 16

G. VISUALIZING RESULTS – I-CAL REPORTS ……………………………………….. Page 18

H. DETERMINING ACTIVATION ENERGY – I-CAL AE……………………………….. Page 23

I. PREDICTING COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH – I-CAL STRENGTH……………….. Page 31

J. PREDICTING SETTING TIMES – I-CAL SET ………………………………………. Page 37

A. BEFORE YOU START USING THE EQUIPMENT

Unpacking your I-Cal 8000.

Your I-Cal is shipped in two separate boxes.

One box contains the calorimeter unit

The other box contains the temperature control unit.

1. Open both boxes and unpack the calorimeter and the temperature control unit. Remove all protective pads and packaging materials. Make sure you find the Accessories box located inside the temperature control unit.

2. Place the Temperature Control Unit in the place where testing will usually be conducted within your lab. Ensure that the unit is in proximity to a power source.

3. Place the Calorimeter Unit into the Temperature Control Unit and connect the Calorimeter USB cable to the internal USB plug

4. Never lift or transport your I-Cal 8000 while the Calorimeter Unit is placed inside the Temperature Control Unit. Always remove the Calorimeter Unit first.

Installing your CalCommander Software.

Minimum requirements: Windows XP or later, 1 GB RAM and 250MB hard drive space, screen resolution of 1024x768 or higher.

Do not yet connect your I-Cal unit. Install your software first:

1. Insert the CalCommander CD in your CD/DVD drive and follow the on-screen installation instructions. The Installer will first install the PDF converter, then the CalCommander software. Refer to detailed instructions on the Quick Set-Up sheet enclosed in the Accessories box.

2. Restart your Computer

3. Click on the CalCommander in your Desktop Icon to open CalCommander

4. Click on the Settings tab

5. Email your ID number to registration@calmetrix.com or call +1 617-203-2090 to obtain your Registration number. Once received, key in the number in the Reg ID field.

NOTE: your I-Cal 8000 includes one free software license for the I-Cal Logger logging interface and one license for the I-Cal Reports report generator. The computer you register for the use of your I-Cal will be the only computer registered. To purchase additional licenses, please email support@calmetrix.com or call (617) 203-2090.

Connecting your I-Cal unit.

1. Make sure the Calorimeter USB cable is connected to the internal USB plug located inside the Temperature Control Unit.

2. Connect the external USB plug located on the Temperature Control Unit to your computer. This connects the calorimeter’s datalogger. Then connect the other external USB plug to your computer. This is the connection with the temperature control module. Alternatively, you can connect both cables to a USB hub that is connected to your computer.

3. When you plug in your I-Cal for the first time, your Windows operating system will try to locate preinstalled drivers for the datalogger and temperature control module. This may take several

minutes. If a "New Hardware Found" dialog window pops up, browse to the “Drivers” folder on the

installation CD and choose a subfolder corresponding to the hardware and your operating system:

• For the datalogger (TC-08 module), choose the folder Pico-32 if you are running a 32- bit Windows system, or Pico-64 if you are running a 64-bit version;

• For the temperature control module (FTDI chip), choose the FTDI folder

4. Once drivers are installed, open your CalCommander software. Go to the Settings tab. You will see the following screen:

5. Enter the 7-digit Reg Numbers for the I-Cal Logger module and the I-Cal Reports module. If you did not receive these numbers, Email them to registration@calmetrix.com or call 617-203-2090.

6. Once the registration numbers have been keyed in, the corresponding boxes should be checked. You are now ready to operate your I-Cal 8000 and to retrieve and analyze data.

B. GENERAL USE

I-Cal measures the heat flow from up to eight concrete, mortar or cement paste samples over time, usually 48 – 96 hours, in a close to constant temperature environment. The heat flow curve provides a “fingerprint” of the chemical reactions in the sample. We recommend that you review ASTM C1679 general practice before using your calorimeter.

C. HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS

The reusable plastic cups must be clean on the outside before inserting them into the calorimeter. Cement or admixtures on the outside will cause vial to get stuck in the calorimeter, with expensive and timeconsuming repair as a result. Cups must be properly sealed to avoid erroneous measurement data. Only use the Suction Cup that was provided with your I-Cal 8000 to remove Plastic Cups from the unit. Other removal methods may damage the unit or cause sample material to spill.

When opening the lid while performing a test, immediately close lid when finished to minimize heat exchange caused by keeping the lid open.

Use gloves and paper towels to ensure NO admixtures, cement dust, fingerprints or other material get left on the outside of sample cups when loading them into the calorimeter.

DO NOT lift or transport the I-Cal with the Calorimeter Unit inside. Disconnect and remove the Calorimeter Unit from the Temperature Control Unit first, before moving the equipment.

D. CALIBRATION Your I-Cal 8000 was calibrated before shipping. You do not need to recalibrate the equipment. The Calmetrix team will email you the calibration file corresponding to your equipment.

Once received, place the calibration file (“xxxxx-xxx.ccicalcal”) into the calibration folder: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Calmetrix\CalCommander\Calibration.

A test run with duplicate samples of neat cement paste in all sample cells should always be conducted prior to commencing work after the calorimeter has been relocated or not in use for more than one month. A typical result of a test run after calibration is shown in Figure 1. Re-calibration is needed only if the signal from duplicate samples deviate more than 10% measured as the maximum signal from the silicate peak [arrow “A” in Figure1].

More detailed instructions about calibration procedures can be found on the Quick Set-Up sheet located in your Accessories box.

Figure 1. Test run of duplicate samples from one mix of neat cement to check repeatability.

Contact support@calmetrix.com or +1 617-203-2090 to obtain the calibration file, or if you would like help with recalibrating your equipment at any time.

E. OPERATING YOUR EQUIPMENT – I-CAL LOGGER

With your computer connected to your I-Cal 8000, open the CalCommander software. You will see the Welcome Screen.

Click on the I-Cal Logger tab on top and familiarize yourself with the main window of the I-Cal module:

Plot area

Mix Configuration area

Command area

Mix Configuration area:

This part of the screen is used to capture all mix and sample related data. Please note that there are eight individual tabs: one for each sample.

Units can be changed from US to metric by clicking on the SETTINGS tab on top of the screen.

Box (a) – Total Mass – enter the total mass of specimen as sampled. Target ~20-50 g for cement paste, 100 g for mortar and a full cup for concrete. This information is used to normalize readings across samples.

Box (b) – Logging, hh:mm – enter the desired total length of the experiment

Box (c) – Mix Date/Time – enter the mixing time (when the water gets in contact with the cement)

Box (d) – Content, SCM 1, 2 &3 - Enter SCM unit mass as per mix design. This mass is regarded as a “filler” if plotting Power per unit of dry cement and considered “active” if plotting Power per unit of dry

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

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Calmetrix I-Cal 8000 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual