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What is Concrete Plasticiser

If you are interested in concrete additives, you must not miss this news. We are a professional manufacture of concrete additives, the most important product in concrete additives is water reducer. But what is concrete plasticiser? Let me show you:

As a kind of concrete additive, concrete plasticiser is also very important. What is concrete plasticiser? Plasticizers are a substance that is added to a material to make it softer and more flexible, to increase its plasticity, to reduce its viscosity or to reduce friction during its manufacturing process.

Application of concrete plasticiser

  • Plasticizers are often added to polymers to facilitate handling of raw materials during manufacturing, or to meet the needs of end product applications. For example, plasticizers are often added to polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which would otherwise become hard and brittle, making it soft and flexible. This makes it suitable for products such as vinyl flooring, clothing, bags, hose and wire coatings.
  • Plasticizers are also often added to concrete formulations to make them easier to work with and pour fluids, thereby reducing water content. Also, they are often added to clay, stucco, solid rocket fuel and other pastes before being shaped and shaped. For these applications, plasticizers overlap to a large extent with dispersants.
  • In concrete technology, plasticizers and superplasticizers are also known as high-range water reducers. When added to concrete mixes, they impart many properties, including improved workability and strength. The strength of concrete is inversely proportional to the amount of water added, which is the water-cement ratio (w/c). To produce stronger concrete, less water needs to be added, which makes the concrete mix less workable and difficult to mix, so plasticizers, water reducers, superplasticizers, fluidizers or dispersants must be used.
  • Plasticizers are also often used when pozzolans are added to concrete to increase strength. This mixing method is especially popular when producing high-strength concrete and fiber-reinforced concrete.
concrete plasticiser

Usually 1-2% plasticizer per unit weight of cement is sufficient. Adding excess plasticizer will cause excessive segregation of the concrete and is not recommended. Depending on the specific chemicals used, using too much plasticizer may cause retardation.

Plasticizers are typically produced from lignosulfonates, which are by-products of the paper industry. Superplasticizers are usually produced from sulfonated naphthalene condensates or sulfonated melamine formaldehyde, although newer products based on polycarboxylate ethers are now available.

Traditional lignosulfonate-based plasticizers, naphthalene and melamine sulfonate-based superplasticizers disperse the flocculated cement particles through an electrostatic repulsion mechanism. In ordinary plasticizers, the active substance is adsorbed and stuck to the cement particles, making them negatively charged, causing repulsion between the particles.

Lignin, naphthalene and melamine sulfonate superplasticizers are organic polymers. The long molecules wrap them around the cement particles, giving them a highly negative charge that repels each other.

Polycarboxylate ether superplasticizers (PCE) or just polycarboxylates (PC) act differently from sulfonate-based superplasticizers to disperse the cement through steric stabilization. This dispersed form is more effective and improves the workability of the cementitious mixture.

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