Experimental Study on Strength and Setting Time of Concrete After Modifying Workability by Using Molasses as Time Retarding and Plasticizing Agent

Abstract

Molasses is a byproduct recovered from the sugar refining process. Molasses can also be recovered from the paper industries. Here the waste floating on the surface of boiling sugar juice during the process of production of sugar is taken. Sugar content in such molasses slows down the hydration process in cement. This phenomenon increases the setting time of the concrete mix. Among the quantity of water added to concrete without any admixture, a portion gets evaporated due to heat of hydration during initial setting. When adding molasses in a proportion, as the hydration process is reduced, portion of water evaporating also gets reduced. This exhibits that molasses as an admixture in concrete functions as water-reducing and time-retarding agent. Here a study conducted to measure the time retarding effect of molasses in cement mix, effect of molasses on workability of fresh concrete mix and strength of hardened concrete.
Keywords: Molasses, sugar, time retarding, workability, strength