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CONCRETE TECHNOLOGY76 CPI %u2013 Concrete Plant International %u2013 1 | 2026 www.cpi-worldwide.comWhen pigment granules are delivered, concrete producers care about one thing above all: achieving a safe and reproducible color in the finished concrete. All the more unsettling, then, when a new batch looks different from what they are used to. Sometimes the granules appear slightly lighter, sometimes darker %u2014 and it%u2019s easy to assume this might indicate a quality issue. But this is precisely where a closer look pays off. This article explains why lighter or darker granule particles have no impact on the concrete color and how Oxerra ensures consistent quality.A moment that occasionally causes questions during goods receipt: The new batch of granules looks visually different from the standard. The grains appear darker or lighter, leading to the question: Can we still produce reliably with this? The short answer is: Yes What causes confusion at first glance only concerns the outer shell of the granule, not the pigment that subsequently colors the concrete.The images 1 and 2 clearly show what often causes uncertainty in practice: two visually different granules, but an identical concrete shade. For the application, only the pigments inside count, and they remain stable.Why the shell is allowed to varyPigment granules consist of a pigment core and a shell formed in the spray dryer. This surface is sensitive to process Granule appearance vs. concrete color: Why differences in the shell are harmlessOxerra Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, 65396 Walluf, GermanyFig. 1: In the middle is the reference product Granufin Sno on the left and right are the batches about which customers had queries. The granules clearly look different...Fig. 2: ...but in the concrete test, all samples are well within specification.Fig. 3: Two 208G batches with clearly different granule appearance...Fig. 4: %u2026yet the color draw-downs sho The shade remains the same.Customer sample 1Standard sampleCustomer sample 2