Dispersing & Water Reducing Admixtures
These products are most used to enhance strength by increasing cement particle dispersion and by increasing density. Wetted cement particles will naturally cling to one another forming clumps or agglomerations. This reduces active surface area for the cement reaction with water (hydration), thus reducing efficiency.
Dry-cast concrete production typically uses lower dosage rates and normal moisture contents to maintain desirable plastic properties. Depending on strength and workability requirements, decorative wet cast production can use a wider range of dosages to lower the water demand for a given mix consistency.
ICT’s Tech Shield 700 Series and ConTec SD products (ConTec SD-215C, ConTec SD-220) achieve this cement dispersing action through electrostatic repulsion (as in like-pole magnetics), or a combination of that and steric hindrance (using a chain polymer network) – as used in our polycarboxylate series.
