27/07/2016

UseandimportanceofPlasticizersandSuperplasticizersinconcrete|strukts

Use and importance of Plasticizers and

Super-plasticizers in concrete
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In the situation such as in concrete pumping, ready-made concrete industry,

tremie concreting, concreting in deep beams etc, high degree of workability in
grading or use of high percentage can be increased by the improvement in
grading or use of high percentage of ne aggregates or increasing cement
content or others but it is very difcult to apply in the eld. Extra water can be
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27/07/2016

UseandimportanceofPlasticizersandSuperplasticizersinconcrete|strukts

used to increase workability but it causes harm to the strength and durability of
concrete. Hence, nowadays, it is very popular to use admixtures named
plasticizers and super-plasticizers (available in various brand names) to reduce
water requirement and to make concrete strong and workable.
Plasticizers are the organic or combination of organic and inorganic substances
which reduces water content for certain degree of workability, when added in mix.
The basic products consisting plasticizers are anionic surfactants (such as
lignosulphonates, salts of sulphonates hydrocarbon) nonionic surfactants (such
as polyglycol esters, hydroxylated carboxylic acid products) and others such as
carbohydrates, etc. among them calcium, sodium and ammonium
lignosulphonates are commonly used. Plasticizers are mixed from 0.1% to 0.4%
by weight of cement used and it reduces 5% to 15% of water with the increment
of workability from 3 to 8cm slump. In the mix, the cement grains absorbs the
plasticizers molecules and results change in the surface charge of the same sign
which causes repulsive forces and makes the dispersion which increases
plasticity and workability. Some Plasticizer also entrails the air but a good
plasticizer is that which entrains air less than 2% only. The plasticizers are
available in market in various brands with specications for composition,
dosages etc.
However, the super-plasticizers are the improvement of plasticizers. It increases
workability at same water cement ratio (w/c) and decreases w/c ratio at the
same workability level. The uidizing property remains longer due to the retarding
property on cement hydration. Hence it is possible to obtain so called owing
concrete or self leveling concrete, which is pumpable or requires very little
effort in the compaction. In the concrete with super-plasticizer segregation and
bleeding are nearly absent. In other words, use of super-plasticizers reduces
much more segregations and bleedings than any normal plasticizers. Hence,
super-plasticizers are most effective mix ingredient for concrete. The superplasticizers are normally grouped as sulphonated melamine, Naphthalene
sulphonate, modied sulphonates and others. The super-plasticizers are also
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UseandimportanceofPlasticizersandSuperplasticizersinconcrete|strukts

available in market in various brands with specications for composition,

dosages etc.

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