Media Release

Penetron Crystalline Technology Behind Buffalo Mozzarella in Italy

Italy

Buffalo mozzarella cheese from Italy is sought after by culinary fans the world over, which made the August 2019 opening of a new buffalo farm and cheese production facility in Capaccio Paestum, Italy, a cause for a celebratory – and tasty – inauguration. Penetron crystalline technology provides the crucial concrete durability to keep the farm running smoothly.

The new buffalo farm and cheese production facility in Capaccio Paestum is dedicated to the breeding and care of Italian Mediterranean buffalo, the source of the popular “mozzarella di bufala,” or buffalo mozzarella cheese. A traditional dairy product of the Salerno district in the Campania region of southwestern Italy, buffalo mozzarella is cherished for its versatility and creamy, elastic texture. It is often called "the queen of the Mediterranean cuisine" or "the pearl of the table," as the cheese curd is cut by hand and separated into small balls during production.

“You’ve never had mozzarella until you’ve tasted fresh buffalo mozzarella from Salerno,” adds Robert Revera, President and CEO of The Penetron Group. “This type of mozzarella is only produced according to a traditional recipe in specified locations in the Campania region and other select areas of Southern Italy.”

The concrete structures of the farm, which include the floors of the buffalo pens, milking tanks, biogas tanks and foundation structures, needed a reliable waterproofing solution for the groundwater present at the site and, especially, protection from chemical attack. With pH levels ranging from pH3-pH11, the animal manure and liquid waste from the farm’s extensive herd of buffalo pose a hard test for any concrete matrix.

“Initially, a waterproofing membrane to cover the perimeter walls and ground-level concrete elements was proposed,” explains Enricomaria Brac, Director of Penetron Italia. “Our technical experts were able to show that adding an integral crystalline admixture to the concrete mix during batching would provide a comprehensive and permanent solution, including protection from both groundwater below and chemical attack from above.”

Recognized as an industry standard crystalline admixture, PENETRON ADMIX is a highly efficient and economic permeability-reducing treatment that protects concrete against deterioration from chemical attack. Once it is mixed into the concrete, PENETRON ADMIX becomes an integral part of the concrete matrix and performs consistently during the life of the structure.

The farm’s two biogas tanks are used to store the collected biomass (liquid waste and buffalo manure), an extremely aggressive environment for which an extra layer of protection was specified. A layer of PENETRON, a crystalline waterproofing material, was applied as a spray coating. The topical material penetrates deeply into the structure in the presence of moisture. Identical to PENETRON ADMIX, the ensuing chemical reaction fills microcracks, pores and capillaries with an insoluble crystalline formation, which prevents water and water-borne chemicals from entering.

“Thanks to PENETRON’s unique "self-healing capability," it is always active in the concrete matrix,” explains Enricomaria Brac. “Any time the treated concrete comes into contact with water, it penetrates further into the matrix to enhance impermeability and overall protection.”

PENETRON ADMIX was specified over a conventional waterproofing membrane for the perimeter walls and ground-level concrete elements as a comprehensive and permanent solution

Better than membrane: PENETRON ADMIX was specified over a conventional waterproofing membrane for the perimeter walls and ground-level concrete elements as a comprehensive and permanent solution.

PENETRON ADMIX protects the concrete buffalo pens, milking tanks, biogas tanks and foundation structures from both groundwater below and chemical attack from above

Delivering concrete durability: PENETRON ADMIX protects the concrete buffalo pens, milking tanks, biogas tanks and foundation structures from both groundwater below and chemical attack from above.

Permanent protection: Added to the fresh concrete of the Capaccio Paestum farm, PENETRON ADMIX is an integral part of the concrete matrix and performs consistently during the life of the structure.


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