A Guide to Choose Sodium Gluconate in Concrete

For a framework that stands tall for ages, you have to cautiously choose its fundamental ingredients—be it the concrete or the iron pillars. And sodium gluconate in concrete is one such ingredient that has earned its place as a highly efficient set retarder.

What is Sodium Gluconate?

At its core, sodium gluconate (NaC₆H₁₁O₇) is the sodium salt of gluconic acid. It is produced by glucose fermentation and can be white or tan, granular or fine in appearance. This product is highly soluble in water, containing:

• sulfate
• chloride
• heavy metals
• reduzierte or D-glucose
• arsenic salt
• water solution

Sodium gluconate is widely used in various industries, like textile dyeing, printing, construction, etc. It is also used as a chelating agent, for example, cleaning metal surfaces, glass bottles as well as cement, alumina dyeing, plating, among others.

A Guide to Choose Sodium Gluconate in Concrete

When choosing a particular sodium gluconate manufacturing brand, you must know how it can benefit you. Basically, this compound can be called a dual agent, for it is a concrete retarder and a water reducer in one.

Follow the Brand Directives

The brand you are purchasing should be accompanied by several specifications, and this should include the compound ratio in contrast with the delay time. Ideally, mixing about 15% of sodium gluconate should slow down the setting by 10 times.

Suppose your site employees have to transport the concrete to different locations after mixing it in the plant. And if the mixture solidifies within that time, then the construction work would never be carried out. And that’s where sodium gluconate comes into play. It avoids the formation of joints for hours and even for a few days.

Select the Product That Offers Better Processability

If you are also looking for a plasticizer simultaneously, nothing can serve you better than good quality sodium gluconate. After adjusting the water-cement measurements, you can add sodium gluconate adhering to the instructions. This would aid you with the following advantages:

• increase concrete slump
• enhance the strength of the concrete structure
• improve the workability

Always remember, the best quality products can attain up to 10% water reduction by using only 0.1% sodium gluconate.

Attain the Best Cement Alternative

Even if not full, sodium gluconate can serve as a brilliant cement alternative to some extent. You must be familiar with the fact that the market available cement brands can hardly match up to the standards builders seek at present. That’s why the construction industry depends much on sodium gluconate in concrete that delivers a similar sturdy outcome, lowering the overall cost.

Confirm whether the brand you are picking belongs to the industrial grade and capable of meeting your blending expectations.

Switch to Environment Safety

Tough infrastructures demand abundant harsh chemicals to achieve durability. But you can always make a better choice by switching to ISO9001, ISO1400, OHSAS18000 certified products that are non-coercive, non-flammable, and biodegradable.

Purchasing an admixture can be a critical responsibility. But when you follow these basic guidelines, you can differentiate the cheap products from the purest sodium gluconate compound, assuring infrastructure security, and longevity for years to come.