Why can water retaining agent for ready-mixed mortar significantly reduce mortar cracking and hollowing?
Publish Time: 2025-03-19
In the construction industry, water retaining agent for ready-mixed mortar is an important building material, and its performance and quality are directly related to the overall quality of the project. However, mortar cracking and hollowing have always been a problem that has troubled construction workers. In order to solve this problem, the application of water retaining agent in premixed mortar has gradually received attention.
The main reason for cracking and hollowing of premixed mortar is that the water in the mortar is lost too early, resulting in the shrinkage of the mortar volume, and then the formation of cracks and hollowing. Especially in the case of a relatively dry construction environment or strong water absorption of the base, the water in the mortar is more likely to be quickly absorbed or evaporated, exacerbating the risk of cracking and hollowing.
Water retaining agent plays a vital role in premixed mortar. Water retaining agent is a chemical substance that can absorb or retain water. Through its special molecular structure, it can form a layer of water protection film in the mortar, effectively slowing down the rate of water loss. In this way, the mortar can maintain a relatively stable moisture content during the hardening process, avoiding volume shrinkage caused by excessive water loss, thereby significantly reducing the occurrence of cracking and hollowing.
In addition to slowing down water loss, water retaining agents can also improve the workability and cohesion of mortar. Workability refers to the performance of mortar that is easy to mix, spread and compact during construction, while cohesion refers to the bonding force between particles inside the mortar. Water retaining agents increase the cohesion of mortar, making the mortar softer and more stable, which is convenient for construction operations. At the same time, water retaining agents can also make the mixing water evenly distributed in the mortar, maintain the uniformity and stability of the mortar, and further reduce cracking and hollowing caused by improper construction.
In addition, water retaining agents can also improve the water retention and impermeability of mortar. Improved water retention means that mortar can better retain moisture during the hardening process, which is conducive to the hydration reaction and strength development of cementitious materials. The improvement of impermeability can prevent moisture from penetrating from the inside of the mortar to the base layer, avoiding loosening and hollowing of the base layer caused by moisture penetration.
In practical applications, the selection and use of water retaining agents also need to pay attention to some issues. First, the dosage of water retaining agent needs to be determined according to the specific formula of mortar and the construction environment. Too much or too little dosage may affect the performance of mortar. Secondly, the quality of water retaining agent also needs to be strictly controlled to ensure that it meets relevant standards and requirements. Finally, when using water retaining agent, it is also necessary to pay attention to the use with other raw materials to avoid adverse reactions or affect the overall performance of mortar.
In summary, water retaining agent for ready-mixed mortar significantly reduces the occurrence of mortar cracking and hollowing through multiple mechanisms such as slowing down water loss, improving workability and cohesion, and improving water retention and impermeability.
