Effect of chemical structure on dispersity of polycarboxylate superplasticiser in cement paste Available to Purchase

This study examines the mechanism of adsorption–dispersion by superplasticisers with varying side chain density in cement paste. Acrylic acid was used to copolymerise with 2-methylprop-2-ene polyethylene glycol, using chain transfer agent to synthesise polycarboxylate ether superplasticisers (PCEs) with comparable main chain lengths and different side chain densities. Gel permeation chromatography, zeta potential, total organic carbon and fluidity tests were used to investigate the adsorption–dispersion of PCE samples in cement pastes with different amounts of tricalcium aluminate (C₃A) additive. The results indicate: products with higher side chain densities also have correspondingly shorter main chains, which allows them to form conformations with comparable initial adsorption performance; with C₃A added, samples with denser side chains performed better, and their resistance to adsorption became more prominent at higher C₃A content.