LIGHTWEIGHT SINGLE-USE CONCRETE CURING SYSTEM
A lightweight concrete curing blanket includes a layer of nonwoven fabric that is hydrophilic and that has a thickness of less than about 0.020 inches. A layer of film (e.g., polyethylene film) is bonded to the layer of nonwoven fabric, and has a thickness less than or equal to about 0.001 inch. The layer of film has a moisture vapor transport rate of less than about 0.0016 grams per square foot per twenty-four hours. A combined weight of the layer of nonwoven fabric and the layer of film is less than about 100 grams per square meter.
1 . A concrete curing system comprising:
a film backing layer having a first surface and a second surface, the film backing being a thermoplastic impermeable to moisture;
a nonwoven fabric layer, said fabric comprised of a mixture of polyester and rayon fibers, said fabric having a first surface and a second surface;
an adhesive securing the second surface of the film backing layer to the first surface of the fabric layer.
2 . The concrete curing system as in claim 1 wherein said film backing comprises low density polyethylene.
3 . The concrete curing system as in claim 1 , wherein said film backing is less than 2 mils in thickness.
4 . The concrete curing system as in claim 1 , wherein said film backing is white.
5 . The concrete curing system as in claim 1 , wherein said film backing is colored.
6 . The concrete curing system as in claim 1 wherein said the fabric is comprised of a mixture of polyester and rayon.
7 . The concrete curing system as in claim 6 wherein composition of the fabric is a spunlaced blend of at least 30% polyester and at least 30% rayon.
8 . The concrete curing system as in claim 1 wherein composition of the fabric is a spunlaced blend of polyester, rayon and lyocell.
9 . The concrete curing system as in claim 8 wherein composition of the fabric is a spunlaced blend of up to 90% polyester and at least about 10% to about 100% cellulosic fibers, said cellulosic fiber selected from rayon and lyocell, and mixtures thereof.
10 . The concrete curing system as in claim 4 , wherein the weight of the fabric is between about 55 grams per square meter and about 70 grams per square meter.
11 . The concrete curing system as in claim 1 wherein said adhesive is resistant to degradation by ultraviolet light.
12 . A concrete curing system comprising:
a polyethylene film backing impermeable to moisture having a first surface and a second surface and a thickness of less than 3 mils;
a spunlaced, needlepunched or carded nonwoven polyethylene and rayon fabric, said fabric comprised of a mixture of at least 30% polyester fibers and at least 30% rayon fibers, said fabric having a first surface and a second surface;
an ultraviolet light stabile adhesive securing the film backing to the fabric.
12 . A concrete curing blanket, comprising:
a layer of nonwoven fabric, wherein the layer of nonwoven fabric comprises polyester, rayon, and lyocell, and wherein the layer of nonwoven fabric has a thickness of less than about 0.050 inches; and
a layer of film laminated to the layer of nonwoven fabric, wherein the layer of film has a thickness less than about 0.003 inch.
13 . The concrete curing blanket of claim 12 , wherein the layer of film comprises polyethylene film.
14 . The concrete curing blanket of claim 12 , wherein the layer of film has a moisture vapor transport rate of less than about 5 grams per square foot per twenty-four hours.
15 . The concrete curing blanket of claim 12 , wherein the layer of nonwoven fabric has a thickness of less than about 0.05 inches.
16 . The concrete curing blanket of claim 12 , wherein a combined weight of the layer of nonwoven fabric and the layer of film is less than about 100 grams per square meter.
17 . A method of curing concrete, comprising:
pouring a slab of concrete, wherein the concrete slab has an exposed surface;
flooding the concrete surface with water;
covering the concrete surface and water on the surface with a concrete curing blanket, wherein the concrete curing blanket comprises:
a layer of nonwoven fabric, wherein the layer of nonwoven fabric comprises rayon, and lyocell, and wherein the layer of nonwoven fabric has a thickness of less than about 0.050 inches; and
a layer of film laminated to the layer of nonwoven fabric, wherein the layer of film has a thickness less than about 0.003 inch; and
allowing the concrete to cure for a predetermined period of time.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the layer of film comprises polyethylene film.
19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the layer of film has a moisture vapor transport rate of less than about 1.0 grams per square foot per twenty-four hours.
20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the layer of nonwoven fabric has a thickness of less than about 0.020 inches.