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13 June 2013

The General Uses Of Concrete Plasticizer

By Margarita Joseph


Plasticizers, also known as dispersants, are a wide variety of chemicals used to intensify the plasticity of various materials. These materials include clays, concretes and other similar substances. The chemicals are used to enhance the characteristics of the material. While certain additives help to prevent the brittleness of dried paint, a concrete plasticizer is used to improve the workability of this material.

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.

It is important to use the correct amount of dispersant, as too little will be ineffective, and too much could have a negative effect on the cement, retarding its function. It is recommended to use between one and two percent dispersant per unit weight. This should result in a good that is workable, but strong.

Common water reducers are made from pop lignosulfonate, which is a by-product from the manufacture of paper. The traditional reducers made from lignosulfonate disperse separate the flocculated particles of cement by a process of electrostatic repulsion. In normal plasticizing circumstances, the active materials move towards the cement particles. This creates a negative charge around them, leading to repulsion between the particles.

Water reducers are commonly used because they generate a number of advantages. In general, a worker will not want to add huge quantities of water to his cement, because this will cause the substance to lack its adhesive properties. A few small doses of water reducers are all that is required to make the material far more easy to work with. It will also cause it to have a longer slump life, and will make it stronger.

Plasticizers are also used to increase the strength of a cement mix, even though it may contain a lower cement content. The chemical lessens the chances of the material cracking, and segregating, and also allows it to become less permeable. Segregation leads to a tightly packed mixture, which is usually what should be avoided.

Within the construction industry, water reducers have many benefits, mainly because this is the type of industry where concretes are most often used. The buildings developed are much stronger, and the work completed is of a much higher quality. Since that the cement is now of a more flexible and free-flowing nature, it is much easier to apply, and is much more effective in its application.

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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