What is a plasticizer for concrete and what is it for

Considered one of the most popular building materials due to its strength and longevity is concrete. Finding the ideal combination for a given project, though, can occasionally be difficult. Here’s where plasticizers are useful. However, what is a plasticizer exactly, and why is it relevant to the making of concrete?

A chemical addition called a plasticizer makes concrete easier to work with. Plasticizers facilitate the handling and pouring of concrete by lowering the required water content in the mix without sacrificing its strength. In order to ensure that the concrete can fill molds and spaces effectively and form a sturdy, uniform structure, this adjustment is essential.

Adding a plasticizer to concrete not only increases its flow but also enhances its overall quality. Improved workability of concrete mixtures can result in a final product that is more dense and compact, which reduces the likelihood of cracks and other structural problems over time. Because of this, plasticizers are especially useful for projects that call for detailed detailing or complex molds.

Plasticizers can also hasten the curing process, which is advantageous for projects with short turnaround times. Plasticizers ensure that the concrete reaches its intended strength faster by maximizing the hydration process, which prevents needless delays in construction.

In conclusion, plasticizers are necessary to improve concrete’s functionality and adaptability. These additives ensure that concrete structures are strong and dependable in modern construction by enhancing workability, quality, and curing times.

Advantages of plasticizing additives

The following tasks are carried out by concrete plasticizers, depending on the additives chosen:

• Reduce the consumption of cement (by 15%) and water (by 30%). At the same time, the strength characteristics of the finished mixture do not change.
• Accelerate the setting process of the mixture. Since, when using a plasticizer, the volume of water decreases, the composition hardens faster.

Crucial! If the work is being done at -10 0 C or lower, it is not advised to drastically lower the cement volume.

• Increase plasticity. If you add about 0.6% plasticizer to concrete with a standard ratio of cement and water, the mixture will be much more “obedient” when laying or plastering. Thanks to this, you can avoid vibratory laying.
• Increase the strength characteristics of the composition by 25%.
• Improve frost resistance. Thanks to plasticizers, the porosity of the mixture decreases, and water does not penetrate into the reinforced concrete thickness. Because of this, when the temperature drops, moisture does not expand or crystallize, and the monolithic structure is preserved.
• Reduce shrinkage.
• Increase the mobility of the mixture, so it becomes possible to use concrete pumps during work.
• Increase adhesion, due to which the concrete adheres better to the reinforcing frame.
• Increase water resistance.

You must add the right ingredient to the concrete depending on the effect you wish to achieve.

Types of plasticizers

Although concrete mortar plasticizers come in a variety of forms these days, let’s focus on the essential ones.

Strength gain accelerator

Concrete hardens much more quickly now that strength gain accelerators have been added. This enables you to make up for the addition of other ingredients that, on the other hand, might slow down the mixture’s hardening process.

Accelerators are also used during the winter to prevent cement hydration from occurring due to low temperatures.

These kinds of components are also used when pouring a monolithic structure, i.e., when it is not possible to pour the subsequent layer of concrete mixture before the preceding layer has had time to solidify.

Strength gain retarder

Clearly, this class of plasticizing additives has the opposite effect and slows down the mixture’s hardening process. When concrete solution needs to be transported to the construction site, this requirement emerges. Retarders typically allow concrete to harden two to three hours later.

Anti-frost additives

Depending on the composition chosen, additives that boost the mixture’s frost resistance enable the construction of objects at -25 degrees below zero.

There are two kinds of frost-resistant plasticizers for cement:

1. Accelerating the process of cement hardening (the composition hardens before the temperature of the mixture drops below the freezing temperature).
2. Reducing the temperature regime of water freezing. Roughly speaking, these additives have the same properties as sea water (it freezes at a more "extreme" temperature).

Crucial! Corrosion on the metal components of the reinforcing frame is caused by low-quality anti-frost additives that lower the freezing temperature.

Corrosion inhibitors

These additives aid in delaying the chemical reactions that take place in reinforced concrete constructions. This occurs, for instance, when structures are used in ways that negatively impact the steel components of the reinforcing frame. Inhibitor-type plasticizers enable structures to have a substantially longer "lifespan."

Complex additives

Superplasticizer for concrete is one example of a complex additive. Complex additives are combinations of two or more ingredients that give the concrete solution multiple significant properties at once. Certain additive components enable you to decrease vapor permeability while also increasing the solution’s plasticity, mobility, and water resistance. The composition’s strength and resistance to cracking—including during freezing—are increased by other ingredients. Complicated additions also give the mixture a little longer time to cure, which allows it to be transported.

Special modifiers are also available that are intended to boost strength and reinforce additives, such as fiber.

Crucial! During the first step of batch preparation, any additive is added to the concrete mixture (during the process of mixing the components with water).

It is important to list the primary substances that are currently added to concrete the most frequently before getting into particular brand names.

Brands of plasticizers for concrete

The most widely used additives for concrete are:.

Muraplast FK 63

A German manufacturer’s superplasticizer contains polycarboxylate. A suspension of ground brown powder serves as the additive. Although plasticizer Muraplast FK 63 has a thinning quality, it also effectively stabilizes the mixture and prevents corrosion.

The most common applications for this brand’s additives are in the continuous manufacturing of concrete products, prefabricated reinforced concrete elements, and self-hardening concrete. The kilogramme of the additive starts at 75 rubles.

Frem Giper W

This brand’s additive is a member of the new generation of superplasticizers; "Dokplast" and "ArmMix Superplast" are also included in this category. The addition is frequently used in the construction of commercial and monolithic buildings. In order to stabilize and self-compact the solution, it is also added. Plastering surfaces and mixing masonry mortars require the use of plasticizer because the additive decreases the mobility of concrete.

The additive is priced at 77 rubles per kilogram.

S-3

The amount of water in the batch is reduced by 20% thanks to this intricate plasticizing mixture. It is most frequently added to solutions for masonry, putty, screeds, and adhesive compositions for tiles. Plaster mortar also uses these plasticizers.

The C-3 additive gives the concrete mixture increased homogeneity, durability, waterproofing, and resistance to frost. It also inhibits efflorescence and shrinkage.

A kilogram of the additive costs roughly 50 rubles.

You can create your own plasticizer at home if you want to save money (with minimal properties).

Making a plasticizer yourself

To create a DIY concrete plasticizer, all you need to do is consider the following readily available and inexpensive ingredients:

• Slaked lime. If you add a small amount of this component to the cement mortar, you will get a fairly elastic and crack-resistant mixture for plaster (lime is added in a ratio of 1:1 for interior spaces and 1:6 for exterior surfaces).

Crucial! It is necessary to first dilute the slaked lime in water until it becomes creamy.

• Soap or shampoo. Thanks to soap additives (1 glass of soap per 1 kg of cement is added when adding water to the mixer), you can slow down the hardening time of the solution by 1-2 hours. In addition, this component prevents stratification of concrete.

Additionally, liquid glass and PVA glue are frequently used to plasticize concrete.

It is important to remember, though, that any homemade plasticizer weakens concrete, so it is best to buy specialized goods.

What is a Plasticizer?	What is it for?
A plasticizer is an additive used in concrete to increase its fluidity.	It makes concrete easier to work with, improving its spreadability and reducing water usage.

Plasticizers are necessary additions that improve concrete’s quality and usability considerably. Plasticizers increase the workability of concrete by lowering the amount of water required for the mix, which makes it easier to handle and shape without sacrificing strength. This results in a construction process that is more manageable and efficient, particularly in complex structures or difficult environments.

Plasticizers increase the workability of concrete structures while also extending their lifespan. They contribute to the creation of concrete that is denser, less porous, and more resilient to environmental stresses like moisture, chemicals, and harsh temperatures. Because of their increased resilience, infrastructures and buildings are guaranteed to stay stable and safe over time, which lowers maintenance costs and lengthens their lifespan.

The lower total cost of materials is one of the plasticizers’ other main advantages. Plasticizers allow for a reduced water-to-cement ratio, which allows for the use of less cement without compromising performance. By conserving resources and lessening the environmental impact of cement production, this not only lowers costs but also promotes more environmentally friendly building practices.

In general, plasticizers are essential to contemporary concrete technology. They improve the strength and longevity of concrete, provide workable answers to frequent construction problems, and encourage economical and environmentally friendly building techniques. Using plasticizers in construction can improve results and streamline workflows, regardless of the size of the project—from small-scale initiatives to large-scale infrastructure developments.

An additive called a plasticizer is added to concrete to make it more workable and fluid without requiring additional water. Plasticizers contribute to the creation of stronger, more durable concrete that is simpler to pour and shape by lowering the water content required for a mix. They are particularly helpful for pumping concrete over long distances or into confined spaces, guaranteeing a smooth, even application and raising the caliber of the finished product.

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Production of cement concrete. 26.07.24