In the production and application of ready-mixed mortar, the reasonable combination of water-retaining agent and air-entraining agent is of great significance for improving the workability of mortar.
First of all, the water-retaining agent mainly plays the role of retaining moisture in the mortar and preventing excessive moisture loss. It allows the mortar to maintain a suitable consistency for a longer period of time, ensuring sufficient time for operations during the construction process. For example, common cellulose ether water-retaining agents form hydrogen bonds with water molecules through the hydroxyl groups on their molecular chains, locking the water firmly and thus stabilizing the workability of the mortar. However, relying solely on water-retaining agents is sometimes difficult to fully meet the requirements under complex construction conditions, such as in high-temperature dry environments or delicate construction scenarios that require extremely high workability of mortar.
The addition of air-entraining agents brings a new dimension to improving the workability of mortar. Air-entraining agents can introduce a large number of tiny, stable bubbles during the mortar mixing process. These bubbles are evenly distributed in the mortar system and act like ball bearings, significantly reducing the friction within the mortar and greatly improving the fluidity of the mortar. For example, in self-leveling mortar, the use of air-entraining agents can enable the mortar to automatically level on the ground to achieve a smooth and smooth effect. At the same time, the presence of bubbles can also increase the compressibility and elasticity of the mortar, which improves the crack resistance of the mortar to a certain extent.
When water-retaining agents and air-entraining agents are used together, they produce a synergistic effect. The water-retaining agent maintains the moisture content in the mortar and provides a good liquid environment for the air-entraining agent to form stable bubbles. The bubbles generated by the air-entraining agent in turn affect the rheological properties of the mortar, and work together with the water-retaining agent to further improve the workability of the mortar. For example, in plastering mortar, this combination can make the mortar easier to apply, and the surface after application will be smoother and less likely to crack, improving construction efficiency and project quality. However, it should be noted that the matching ratio of the two needs to be accurately adjusted according to the specific use of the mortar, the characteristics of the raw materials, the construction environment and other factors. If the amount of air-entraining agent is too much, it may cause the mortar strength to drop too much; while if the amount of water-retaining agent is inappropriate, it may affect the stability of the bubbles or the setting time of the mortar.
The reasonable combination of Water Retaining Agent For Ready-Mixed Mortar and air-entraining agent is an effective means to improve the workability of mortar. Through in-depth research on the synergistic mechanism of the two and optimizing the configuration based on actual application conditions, it can promote the application of ready-mixed mortar in construction. Wider and more efficient applications in projects will lay a solid foundation for improving construction quality.
