The Benefits Of Concrete Plasticizer

By Margarita Joseph


A plasticizer is a substance used in plastic materials to help create viscosity, softness and flexibility and other properties in the product. An admixture used for making mortar and concrete can work as a concrete plasticizer when mixed with a little water. The substance helps to improve the physical properties of another material. They are also used to prevent dried coats of paint from becoming extremely brittle.

Plasticizers are also known as water reducers or in rare occasions, high-end water reducer. The strength of concrete when compared to water-cement ratio added to the mixture is inversely proportional. So as to produce stronger material, less water in used. This makes the mixture difficult to mix and less workable. For this reason, reducer and dispersants work.

The addition of dispersants (another name for a water reducer chemical) should be done by someone with experience, because if the wrong quantity is used, it could create an undesirable effect. If more than about one or two percent per unit weight of the material is added, it could have a segregating consequence. This will make the cement unsuitable for its adhesive purposes.

From the paper manufacturing industry, a substance called pop lignosulfonate is created. Many of the most useful water reducers are made from this substance. A dispersant's function is to separate the flocculation of particles within the material. A negative charge is generated around the clumped particles, which causes them to repel one another. This reaction is referred to as electrostatic repulsion.

A water reducer comes with a number of benefits when mixed with the material. You get high quality workable mixture using low doses of the reducer and at minimal workmanship. It also extends slump life for your mixture. A reducer provides good workability without having to increase the amount of water in your mixture. Educed water quantity therefore saves on money. It also improves on durability, pump ability as well as the mechanical properties of the mixture such as tensile strength, compression and flexibility.

Further benefits of using water reducers include an improvement in the adhesion ability of the cement, and the reduced possibility of cracks. The mixture will be noticeably better when it is used along with pre-stressed steel. The level of permeability of the material is also changed. It is less likely to absorb other substances when water reducers have been used. The cement will be easier to pump, which is a huge advantage, and bug holes and segregation, or bleeding, are reduced.

Among its applications especially in the construction industry includes longer slump-retaining constructions and applications, production of high-performance, strong mixture, pre-casting and production of high-flowing mixture. Generally, a reducer works into the mixture to improve quality of the final work. Aesthetics, strength and quality for the finished product improve when constructed using reducers.

The average shelf life of a concrete plasticizer is 12 month depending on the manufacturer. Instructions are available on the package for usage, measurements and storage. Ensure safety measures work all the time you are dealing with reducers. The product is mostly a mild alkaline and is washed off using water if it falls on the skin.




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