There are a lot of elements and materials that go into construction projects. It is from cement and iron to bricks, and the list is quite long.
Amongst other materials, cement is arguably the most challenging one to work with. But, it is also the most important one. The main challenge with cement is that it dries faster, and it is difficult to maintain the consistency of the cement to pump it to higher floors.
To solve such problems, sodium naphthalene sulfonate formaldehyde, more commonly known as SNF, is added to the cement or concrete mixture to improve its characteristics.
It is a viable choice as it helps reduce water usage in the cement by a fair margin. Besides, SNF is used in other industries, such as petroleum, papermaking, textiles, plastics, and agriculture.
The best quality of SNF comes in three types – A, B, and C. These differ in their chlorine content, starch fluidity, and water reduction capabilities.
Benefits of Using SNF
1. Reduce the use of cement
By using the best quality of SNF, one can reduce cement usage by ten to twenty percent. This can be achieved by taking the concrete and slump in an equal ratio and introducing SNF to the mixture.
2. High range water reducer
The substance is considered one of the best water reducers. By using it in the mixture, you will be able to reduce the overall expanse of the concrete slump by up to ten centimeters. Thus, using this substance can help reduce water usage by ten to twenty-five percent.
3. Improves the strength of concrete
SNF improves the workability of concrete as it delays the drying process, which gives the masons time to mold the concrete as per the requirements. In addition, it can add to the strength of the concrete by up to sixty percent, depending upon the quality of the concrete, weather conditions, and quality of SNF.
4. Good adaptability
Many agents can reduce water usage in cement or concrete mixtures, but they often do not mix well with other admixtures.
On the other hand, SNF is quite adaptable as it blends well with other compound admixtures such as a cleaning agent, waterproofing, anti-freezing, and other such admixtures.
This makes naphthalene sulfonate formaldehyde versatile, easy to use, and broadens its relevance.
5. Safety
No matter how good an admixture is, it is not an ideal option unless it is safe. SNF is neither irritating nor radioactive, so even if you touch the substance or work with it for an extended time, you will not have to worry about anything.
Applications of SNF
As mentioned above, SNF is quite an adaptable substance and can be used with various other agents. You can even use it with the different types of portland cement.
The material is widely used in constructing bridges, power plants, docks, civil buildings, highways, and even roads. So, there are chances that the concrete used for your home or to make your driveway might have some amount of SNF in it.
Furthermore, you can use SNF to make different types of concrete, such as steamed concrete, high-performance concrete, and pumping concrete.
This is some basic information that you need to know about SNF. This substance is versatile and adds to the strength of the cement, and reduces the use of water.
