Vicat Prompt™ Natural Cement

Vicat Prompt™ Natural Cement is a fast-setting waterproof cement with extraordinary versatility. Due to its high fines content, Vicat Prompt develops excellent adhesion to a wide array of building materials. Adhesion to a damp surfaces is significantly better than that obtained on a dry surface. Its fast-setting, corrosion-resistant, and waterproof qualities make it an excellent choice for quick masonry work and work done under less than ideal conditions like cold, humidity, or immersion.

For more than 150 years, this natural hydraulic binder has been manufactured with the same process and is fired at a lower temperature than artificial Portland cement. Lower temperatures mean less energy consumption, making Vicat Prompt an environmentally friendly building material. It is compatible with hemp fiber and lime for manufacturing mortar and hemp concrete, as well as hemp fiber blocks for wall, floor and roof insulation.

The fast set time of Vicat Prompt is one of it most unique qualities. This set time can be controlled with the addition of a specially formulated citric acid which can delay the set in a Prompt mortar by 10 to 30 minutes depending on the ambient temperature.Vicat Prompt is ideally suited for architectural pre-cast use, allowing castings to be turned out faster than with Portland cement–speeding up production time. These same properties allow for rapid formwork removal when poured in place; foundations and floors are usable shortly after pouring; fast set times are ideal for emergency repairs.

Vicat Prompt has a natural pale brown color and can be tinted with earth pigments.

Vicat Prompt™ Natural Cement is available in the following sizes:

Vicat Prompt is a unique binder produced by the Vicat Company at their Voreppe works very close to the French alpine city of Grenoble. The Vicat Company was established in 1853 by Joseph Vicat (1821-1902) the son of Louis Vicat (1786-1861) a French military engineer who is credited for his pioneering work with artificial cements. The Vicat Company is the third largest cement producer in France and now the only manufacturer of Natural Cement sold as "Prompt", a name synonymous with its unique properties.

Vicat Prompt is an entirely natural cement, produced from a single geological layer of Argillaceous (clayey) limestone, a sedimentary rock formed during the formation of the Alps. It is mined then fired at the same relatively low temperature as that used for lime production, 800-1200º C, and then finely ground. It contains no other additives whatsoever. While fully compatible with other types of lime binder Prompt Natural Cement cannot be referred to as a lime binder as it contains no free lime, Ca(OH)2.

Vicat Prompt has been in use continuously since the 1850's. Having been in use for over a hundred and fifty years it has been tested and proven well beyond the abilities of Ordinary Portland Cement.