JPH04314501A - Manufacture of patterned concrete molded body - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To express a pattern appearing on a part or the whole of the surface of a concrete molded body such as a paving block and the others by a patterned layer composed of patterning materials of concrete expressing same pattern from top to bottom having a fixed thickness, to which water is added. CONSTITUTION:A water absorbing mat 5 is laid on the bottom of a concrete shuttering 4, a pattern is expressed on the water absorbing mat 5 by a pattering material 2R of concrete to which water is added and when a part of water of the above-mentioned patterning material 2R is absorbed by the water absorbing mat 5 and the patterning material is caked, a base layer material 3D or 3W is filled into the concrete shuttering and both and materials are solidified integrally for demolding.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Industrial Application Field] This invention is applicable to paving blocks laid and fixed on sidewalks, driveways, etc., other patterned concrete products, and concrete molded bodies such as walls of buildings, ceiling slabs, and structures such as dirt floors. Regarding manufacturing methods.

0002

[Prior Art] For example, when expressing a pattern of a traffic sign such as a crosswalk or a stop sign on a part of the surface of a paving block, or when expressing a pattern on the entire surface, conventionally the only way was to draw it with paint or other paint. There wasn't.

0003

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] However, the patterns drawn on a part of the surface or the entire surface of the paving blocks are rubbed by the soles of the footwear of people walking on them or by the wheels of cars running on them. Since it wears out in a short period of time, it is necessary to repaint it frequently, which is very time-consuming.

[0004] Therefore, the present invention was developed with the aim of expressing a pattern appearing on a part or the entire surface of a concrete molded body in a Kintaro-ame style using a pattern layer made of concrete pattern material added with water to a predetermined thickness. That's what I did.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems] A method for manufacturing a patterned concrete molded body according to claim 1 uses a formwork for molding a concrete molded body and a water-absorbing mat, and the above-mentioned molding is carried out on the water-absorbing mat. The pattern on the body is expressed using a water-added concrete pattern material, and this water-absorbing mat absorbs some of the water in the pattern material and caking it, and the remaining part of the pattern inside the formwork that does not contain the pattern material is The entire structure is filled with a concrete base layer material, and the pattern material and the base layer material are solidified together with water contained in the base layer material or water supplied to the base layer material.

[0006] Furthermore, the method for producing a patterned concrete molded body according to claim 2 uses a formwork for forming the concrete molded body and a water-absorbing mat, and a pattern to be displayed on the molded body is formed on the water-absorbing mat. A pattern material in which a part of the pattern is expressed using a concrete pattern material with added water, and this water-absorbing mat absorbs and caking part of the water in the pattern material, and then the rest of the pattern is dried on the water-absorbing mat. The remaining part of the inside of the formwork that does not contain the pattern materials is filled with a concrete base material, and the water contained in the base material or one or both of the base material and the dried pattern material is supplied with water. The moisture used to solidify both pattern materials and the base layer material together.

[0007]

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the method for manufacturing a patterned concrete molded body of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 show a patterned concrete molded body 1 manufactured according to the present invention, in this case a paving block, and FIGS. 1 and 2 represent a character pattern, and FIG. expressing.

The block of FIG. 1 consists of a pattern layer 2 and a base layer 3 of the same thickness, and the pattern layer 2 is exposed on a part of the surface of the block. As described later, this block expresses the pattern by using concrete pattern material added with water on a water-absorbing mat placed at the bottom of the formwork, and the remaining part of the formwork is filled with concrete base material to the same thickness as the above pattern material. It was manufactured by doing this. On the other hand, although the pattern layer 2 of the block shown in FIG. 2 is exposed on a part of the front surface of the block, the back surface of the block is formed only of the base layer 3. In other words, the thickness of the base layer 3 is thinner in the portion lining the pattern layer 2;
It is thicker where it is exposed to the surface. As will be described later, the block shown in Figure 2 expresses a pattern using a concrete pattern material on a water-absorbing mat placed at the bottom of the formwork, and also uses a base layer material to cover the entire remaining part of the formwork that does not contain the pattern material. It was manufactured by filling it with

Further, in the block shown in FIG. 3, the pattern layer 2 forms the entire surface, and the base layer 3 forms the back surface, and the base layer is not exposed on the surface of the block. As described below, this block expresses a pattern using concrete pattern material on the entire surface of a water-absorbing mat placed at the bottom of the formwork, and also fills the entire remaining part of the formwork that does not contain the above pattern material with base material. It was manufactured by Note that the filling order of each pattern material is arbitrary when manufacturing any block.

Now, in the present invention, a concrete molded body having a pattern layer 2 exposed on a part of the surface or the entire surface as illustrated in FIGS. (Fig. 4), the pattern layer 2 is a pattern material of hydrated concrete or a pattern material of hydrated concrete and a pattern material of dry concrete, and the base layer 3 is formed of a concrete base material, which has water absorption properties. The mat is made of knitted fabric,
Non-woven fabric, sponge with open cells, pulp, paper, cotton,
The mat is made of a water-absorbing material such as glass wool or a water-absorbing polymer material.To improve mold release during demolding, a release sheet made of non-woven fabric or fabric such as polypropylene is overlaid, or It is preferable to use a mat whose surface is lightly coated with resin.

[0012] The pattern material for hydrated concrete is a material for forming a pattern layer made by mixing cement powder, resin, or a mixture of these with pigment or fine aggregate with water as its main components. Yes, and dry concrete pattern materials include cement powder, resin, or this and pigment.
The main component is a mixture of these and fine aggregate, and it can be used as a material for forming pattern layers that ranges from bone dry to unmixed with water even if it contains moisture, and can be easily loosened and supplied, and as a base layer material for concrete. The main ingredients are cement powder, resin, and fine aggregate, and the finish differs from the above pattern materials in terms of color, luster, texture, etc. Depending on the needs, either pigment, coarse aggregate, or various fibers may be added. Or, even if the dry material for the base layer composition contains both, and is bone dry or contains moisture, it is not kneaded with water and can be easily loosened and supplied. The pattern material and the base layer material may be mixed with crushed granite or crushed granite powder, slag, light-reflecting fine particles, or other substances, or may be used to accelerate setting and hardening. In some cases, additives such as additives, waterproofing agents, swelling agents, and other admixtures may be mixed. Further, the aforementioned various fibers include metal fibers, carbon fibers, synthetic fibers, glass fibers, and the like.

[0013] When the formwork 4 has a bottom wall, a water-absorbing mat 5 is laid on the bottom wall, but if the formwork does not have a bottom and is open at the top and bottom, a water-absorbing mat is laid on top of the bottom wall. The formwork is placed on the water-absorbent mat, and in this case, the pattern can be expressed on the water-absorbent mat using concrete pattern material added with water, and then the formwork can be placed on the water-absorbent mat.

[0014] In order to manufacture the block shown in FIG.
As shown in Fig. 5, a water-absorbing mat 5 is placed in a mold 4, and while extruding a relatively viscous paste-like red water-added pattern material 2R in a tube, as in the case of making a decorated cake. Either express the character pattern at the same height as the depth of the formwork, or use water absorbent mat 5 as shown in Figures 4 and 6.
A cutting die 6 with the depth of the formwork is placed on top, and the water-added pattern material 2 is placed on top.
After expressing the pattern of the letters by filling R, the cutting die 6 was removed, and the dried base layer material 3D or the hydrated base layer material 3W was filled outside the letters to the same thickness, and the filled base layer materials were dried. When it is a mold, water is supplied to the entire inside of the formwork to maintain the required water:cement ratio for the total amount of cement or resin of the base layer material 3D and pattern material 2R, and with that moisture, the base layer material is When the base layer material 3W contains water, the pattern material 2R and the base layer material 3D or 3W are solidified together to produce a molded body, and once hardened, the mold is removed from the mold 4.

To manufacture the block shown in FIG. 2, as shown in FIG. 7, a pattern is expressed in the same manner as shown in FIG. 5 using a pattern material 2R to which water is added thinner than the thickness of the block on the water absorbent mat 5 placed in the formwork. Then, the pattern material 2R and the rest of the inside of the formwork are filled with hydrated base layer material 3D or hydrated base layer material 3W to form a block of the required thickness, and the base layer material is dried. In some cases, water is supplied to the entire inside of the formwork, and in the case of hydrated base layer material 3W, all the materials are solidified together with the moisture contained therein and removed from the mold.

Furthermore, in order to manufacture the block shown in FIG.
As shown, on the water-absorbing mat 5 in the formwork, brown water-added pattern material 2Br is applied to the area representing the mountain surface, blue water-added pattern material 2B is applied to the area representing the sea, and water-added pattern material 2B is applied to the area representing the sky. Express a pattern that is thinner than the thickness of each block using the sky blue pattern material 2S, and once each pattern material has solidified, fill in the area representing the snow on the top of the mountain with dry white pattern material 2W, and then fill the inside of the formwork. Either fill the dry base layer material 3D or hydrated base layer material 3W so that the entire block has the required thickness, or as shown in Figure 9, fill the entire inside of the formwork with the base layer material first. Filled with 3D or 3W to a predetermined thickness, and pattern material 2B added with water on the water absorbent mat.
A similar pattern is expressed in advance using r, 2B, 2S and dried pattern material 2W, and if necessary, a holding plate or sheet is placed on top of it and inverted, and then the base layer material 3D or 3W filled earlier is placed. If there are holding plates or sheets stacked in the upper formwork, remove them while filling.

Furthermore, if the holding plate or sheet is water-soluble, there is no need to remove it. Then, a surrounding frame with the same height as the height of the pattern layer to be expressed may be used in combination with a water-absorbing mat.
If the surrounding frame is made thin or water-soluble, there is no need to remove it even if it is placed in the formwork together with the pattern material. Also, Figure 8
In either case, a cutting die may be used as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, and which pattern material is to be expressed with the cutting die may be determined depending on the work procedure.

[0018] When the filled base layer material is dry, the required amount of water is supplied to the entire inside of the formwork, and when the base layer material 3W has been added with water, all the materials are solidified together with the moisture contained in it. Remove the mold.

The size of the water-absorbing mat is shown in the drawings to match the inner shape of the formwork, but it is sufficient if it is slightly larger than the outer shape of the pattern to be expressed, and if the bottom plate and surrounding frame can be separated, the size of the water-absorbing mat should be larger than the surrounding frame. It may be large and does not necessarily need to match the inner shape of the formwork. To express the pattern on the water-absorbing mat using each pattern material, it is possible to draw it manually, or it can be done by hand or by a robot in the form of dots, but in order to express it accurately and quickly, it is necessary to use a cutting die. Good to use.

The cutting die may also be made of any suitable material such as wood, metal, plastic, rubber, or the like.

[0021] Regardless of whether it is done by hand, by a robot, or by using a cutting die, a water-added pattern material and a dry pattern material may be used together as long as the pattern to be expressed is not impaired.

[0022] Also, the expression of the pattern on the water-absorbing mat using the pattern material may be done outside the formwork and then the entire mat may be moved inside the formwork, or if the bottom surface of the formwork is open, the formwork may be removed. The pattern may be placed on a water absorbent mat and surrounded by a formwork.

[0023] It is preferable to apply pressure with a press when filling using a cutting die or when curing all the materials, since the materials can be densely filled.

[0024] Then, it is filled with the dry base layer material 3.
In the case of D, an appropriate amount of water is supplied to the entire inside of the formwork to maintain the required water:cement ratio for the total amount of cement and resin contained in the base material and each pattern material, but this water supply adjusts caking. If necessary, a portion of the water may be supplied first, such as when a partially dried pattern material is used. In addition, if the material to be filled is the hydrated base layer material 3W, if the moisture contained in the base layer material 3W causes a lack of moisture in each pattern material, the base layer material 3W will be humidified to compensate for the lack of moisture in the base layer material 3W. Keep the water to cement ratio high. Of course, if the moisture in the base layer material 3W is insufficient to humidify the pattern material, additional water may be supplied.

Further, as shown in FIG. 10, a compressible bulky mat 6, for example, a non-woven fabric, is laid on the inner surface of the bottom of the formwork 4, and a water-absorbing mat is placed thereon, or the water-absorbing mat is made bulky. Part or all of the hydrated pattern material 2R to be filled and the base layer material 3D or 3W to be filled, or both, in this case, the pattern material 2
When an expanding agent is mixed with R, the material mixed with the expanding agent compresses the mat 6 and expands as shown in the figure until it hardens. Therefore, the surface of the pattern layer or the base layer is raised from the surface of the molded article to give the pattern a three-dimensional effect. Furthermore, although the upper surface of the formwork is open in the figure, if this upper surface is closed with a heavy lid, the material expands only toward the mat 6, creating a pattern with a more three-dimensional effect. Furthermore, if the mat 6 is made of a water-absorbing material, it will absorb excess water from the hydrated pattern material and base layer material, and the water will be evenly distributed to each material, thereby further improving the strength of the molded product.

Although FIG. 10 corresponds to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the same applies to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 7 to 9. Also, Figure 9
Since the pattern material is filled on the filled base layer material 3D or 3W, for example, by mixing an expanding agent with the pattern material, the pattern layer can be raised on the surface of the molded body without using a bulky mat. In this case, by placing a water-absorbing mat on the inner surface of the bottom of the mold, the strength of the molded product can be improved as described above.

[0027] Furthermore, as shown in Figs. 11 and 12, water-absorbent mats with pins and small pieces planted thereon, or water-absorbent mats with flocked hair, brushed hair, piles, loops (piles, loops, etc.) are laid down. On top of that, the hydrated pattern material, dry pattern material, base layer material 3D or 3W are applied with pins or small pieces 7, flocked, raised,
It may be held by a hair extension or a ring 8. In addition, when release sheets are stacked, a release sheet having pins, small pieces 7, flocked hair, raised hair, attached hair, or loops 8 may be used. This makes it possible to prevent each material from moving due to vibration or the like until it hardens, and it is possible to clearly express the boundaries between pattern materials of different colors and the boundaries between the pattern material and the base layer material 3D or 3W.

[0028] If the pins, small pieces, flocked hair, raised hair, attached hair, and loops are made water-soluble, they will dissolve and disappear before each material hardens, so that they will peel off from the molded product and there will be no need for post-processing. However, it is desirable to use either water-soluble or water-insoluble materials depending on the required retention state.

Furthermore, part or all of the formwork 4 and the water-absorbing mat 5 are made of a deformable material, and the formwork is deformed after being filled with each pattern material and the base material 3D or 3W, and the deformed formwork is It is also possible to manufacture a molded body other than a block shape by solidifying each material inside the body. I will explain about it.

FIGS. 13 to 15 show an embodiment for manufacturing a cylindrical molded body, in which a mold 10 is fitted with a deformable surrounding frame 11 made of urethane rubber or the like, and a frame 11 for placing the surrounding frame 11 on top. thin metal sheets, plastic sheets, paper, non-woven fabrics,
It consists of a bottom sheet 12 (a water-absorbent mat may also be used as the bottom sheet) that can be rolled up, such as a knitted fabric or a rubber sheet. A deformable water-absorbent mat is placed at the position, a pattern is expressed with the hydrated pattern material 2R as in the case of FIG. 5, and the dried base layer material 3D or the hydrated base layer material 3W is filled (FIG. 13). After both materials have solidified, the surrounding frame 11 is covered with a rollable auxiliary sheet 13 similar to the bottom sheet 12 (FIG. 14), and both materials inside the surrounding frame 11 are covered with the bottom sheet 12 and the auxiliary sheet. 13 and roll it up together with the surrounding frame 11 (FIG. 15), and keep it rolled up until both materials harden to produce a cylindrical molded body with the pattern layer 2 exposed at a predetermined position on the circumferential surface. Can be done.

FIG. 16 shows a mold 14 (if the tube-forming body is cylindrical) that matches the inner shape of the tube-forming body to be manufactured after filling the pattern material and base layer material as shown in FIG. 12 and solidifying them. A cylindrical molded body is produced by wrapping the material around the outside of a cylindrical mold and keeping it in that state until both materials solidify. In this case, the materials 2R and 3D or 3W exposed on the open upper surface of the surrounding frame 11 are
The surface of the auxiliary sheet 13 contacts the outer surface of the mold 14.
can be omitted, and by using a polygonal mold 14, a cylindrical body with a polygonal cross section can be manufactured.

If the two side edges of the surrounding frame 11 are adjacent to each other when the base material is rolled or rolled using the manufacturing method shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, a space joint will be created between the side edges of the base layer material.
Either overlap the edges on both sides and overlap them slightly inside and out, making the base layer material double inside and out at the seam, or cut out each side edge of the surrounding frame 11, butt the base layer material exposed on each side edge, and place the base layer material on the seam. Avoid creating spaces.

Similarly, as shown in FIG. 13, after the pattern material and the base layer material are filled into the mold 10 and solidified, the surrounding frame 11 is removed as shown in FIG. , and wrap it together with the bottom sheet 12 around the outside of a mold 15 having flanges 15', 15' at both ends, and maintain that state until both materials harden (see Fig. 18) to produce a cylindrical molded body. You can also do it. Of course, the width of the inner shape of the surrounding frame 11 is as shown in Figure 1.
As in case 6, the mold 15 is placed so as to match the length of one circumference of the outer periphery, and the length is made to match the interval between the flanges 15', 15'. In this case as well, the auxiliary sheet 13 can be omitted, and the mold 15
By using a polygonal shape, it is possible to manufacture a tube-shaped body having a polygonal cross section in addition to a cylindrical shape.

Although the method described above is for manufacturing a cylindrical shaped body, it is also possible to manufacture a molded body other than a cylindrical shape by deforming part or all of the mold.

For example, after filling the pattern material and the base layer material into the mold 10 as shown in FIG. 13, this is then filled with a lower mold having a recess 16 on the upper surface and a gel 17 filled in the recess, as shown in FIG. 18 and pressurized from above with an upper mold 20 having a convex part 19 corresponding to the concave part 16 (FIG. 20), so that the upper surface is pressed by the convex part 19 and becomes concave, and the lower surface is pushed into the concave part 16. It is possible to produce a molded body that swells downward. In this case, it is only a part of the bottom sheet 12 that is deformed by the formwork, so the surrounding frame 11 does not need to be deformable. Furthermore, the gel 17 filled in the recess is used to keep the part of the bottom sheet located above the recess 16 flat until it is pressed by the upper mold 20, and when the upper mold 20 starts applying pressure. The bottom sheet pushed into the recess and the material thereon overflows around the upper edge of the recess. Note that the lower mold 18 may be made of a plastic material such as clay. In that case, the upper surface of the lower mold made of plastic material is depressed by the pressure of the upper mold, so a recess 16 is formed and the gel 17 is placed in the recess. It saves you from having to fill it out.

Further, as shown in FIG. 13, after filling the mold 10 with the pattern material and base layer material, this is placed on a lower mold 21 having an uneven upper surface as shown in FIG. 21, and a flat elastic plate 22 is placed from above. (FIG. 22), thereby deforming the mold 10 and both materials filled therein against the uneven upper surface of the lower mold 21 to produce a molded object such as a tile shape or a Yatsuhashi shape. You can also do that. The formwork 10 in this case may be composed of the deformable surrounding frame 11 described above and the bottom sheet 12 placed under the bottom of the formwork, but the bottom surface of the deformable surrounding frame is formed by a deformable bottom wall. It may also have a closed bottom.

In addition to the blocks, cylindrical and polygonal tube-formed bodies, and plate-shaped molded bodies described above, the present invention is also applicable to buildings constructed by pouring ready-mixed concrete on-site, such as building frames. It can also be applied to the molding of certain ceiling slabs to produce ceiling slabs with a patterned layer exposed on the top or bottom surface.

[0038] In addition to the various fibers and metals such as the metals and fibers mentioned above, reinforcing bars,
By incorporating reinforcing materials such as lath mesh, expanded metal, and various ropes and wires, a strong molded body can be manufactured. Furthermore, by laying the reinforcing material on top of the previously filled base material (or pattern material) and filling it with the pattern material (or base material), it is possible to prevent the filled materials above and below from shifting. At the same time, the bond between the pattern layer and the base layer can be reinforced at the interface.

[0039]

According to the present invention, it is possible to easily produce a concrete molded body in which a pattern layer is exposed on a part or the entire surface of the molded body in a Kintaro candy style to express a pattern. Even if the surface of the molded object is worn away, the pattern will not disappear or become unsightly. Also, conventional handwriting,
Or, it was difficult to express a hand-drawn pattern,
This method allows easy expression.

Furthermore, since a water-absorbing mat is used, the excess water of each material is absorbed and the water is distributed uniformly to each material, so that the strength of the molded product can be improved.

[0041] If a dry pattern material is used to express a pattern in addition to the pattern material added with water on a water-absorbing mat, it is possible to express color changes such as gradations more precisely, and there are various ways to use admixtures. This is preferable because it can be converted into

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a patterned concrete molded body produced according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a patterned concrete molded body manufactured according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a patterned concrete molded body manufactured according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a mold and a water-absorbing mat for producing the molded article as described above.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the manufacturing state of the molded body of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the manufacturing state of the molded article in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the manufacturing state of the molded body of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the manufacturing state of the molded body of FIG. 3;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the manufacturing state of the molded body of FIG. 3;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing another manufacturing state of the molded body of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing another manufacturing state of the molded article in FIG. 1;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing another manufacturing state of the molded body of FIG. 1;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view for sequentially explaining the manufacturing state of a cylindrical molded body.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view for sequentially explaining the manufacturing state of a cylindrical molded body.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view for sequentially explaining the manufacturing state of a cylindrical molded body.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing the manufacturing state of another tube-shaped body.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing the manufacturing state of another tube-shaped body.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing the manufacturing state of another tube-shaped body.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing the manufacturing state of another molded body.

FIG. 20 is a sectional view showing the manufacturing state of another molded body.

FIG. 21 is a perspective view showing the manufacturing state of another molded body.

FIG. 22 is a sectional view showing the manufacturing state of another molded body.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Molded object 2 Pattern layer 2R Pattern material 2B Pattern material 2W pattern material 2S Pattern material 2Br Pattern material 3 Base layer 3D Dry base material 3W hydrated base layer material 4 Formwork 5. Water absorbent mat 6. Bulky mat 7 Pin or small piece 8　　　　　File transplantation, brushing, hair attachment, and ring 10 Formwork 11 Surrounding frame 12 Bottom sheet 13 Auxiliary sheet 14 Cylindrical mold 15 Cylindrical mold 15' Tsuba 16 Recessed part 17 Gel 18 Lower mold 19 Convex type 20 Upper mold 21 Lower mold 22 Elastic plate

Claims (2)

[Claims] Claim 1: A formwork for forming a concrete molded body and a water-absorbent mat are used, and the pattern to be expressed on the molded body is expressed on the water-absorbent mat using a water-added concrete pattern material. The mat absorbs a portion of the moisture in the pattern material and causes it to caking, and the remaining part of the inside of the formwork that does not contain the pattern material is filled with a concrete base material, and the moisture contained in the base material or the base layer is A method for producing a patterned concrete molded body, which comprises solidifying the patterned material and the base layer material together with water supplied to the material. 2. A formwork for forming a concrete molded body and a water-absorbing mat are used, and a part of the pattern to be expressed on the molded body is expressed on the water-absorbing mat with a water-added concrete pattern material, This water-absorbing mat absorbs and caking a portion of the moisture in the pattern material, and then the remaining part of the pattern is expressed on the water-absorbing mat with the dry pattern material, and each of the pattern materials inside the formwork is The remaining part of the concrete is filled with a concrete base layer material, and both pattern materials and the base layer material are integrated with the moisture contained in the base layer material, or the moisture supplied to one or both of the base layer material and the dried pattern material. A method for producing a patterned concrete molded body characterized by solidification.