MC-Bauchemie Centrament Plast 300
A mid-range MC-Bauchemie plasticiser that blends lignosulphonate slump retention with PCE water-reduction to give durable, workable M25-M50 concrete without over-dosing.
What is it?
A hybrid lignosulphonate-polycarboxylate ether (PCE) plasticising and water-reducing admixture from MC-Bauchemie, conforming to ASTM C494 Type D and IS 9103 Type 4.
Where is it used?
Ready-mix and site-batched structural concrete in the M25 to M50 range, most commonly M30 to M45 columns, rafts, slabs and beams.
Why use it?
It cuts mixing water by 10-18% at constant slump, lifting strength and durability while keeping the mix cohesive and holding workability on longer hauls.
How is it applied?
Dosed into the mix at 0.3-0.8% by mass of cement (300-800 mL per 100 kg), added with the mixing water or delayed into the wet mix at the batching plant.
About MC-Bauchemie Centrament Plast 300
Centrament Plast 300 sits in the practical middle ground between a plain lignosulphonate plasticiser and a full high-range superplasticiser. MC-Bauchemie built it for the everyday structural concrete that makes up most of a project, where you want a genuine drop in water content and a firm gain in strength, but you do not need the extreme slump or the price of a top-end PCE. For a mix designer working M30 to M45, it is the admixture that quietly does the heavy lifting on cube results and durability without complicating the batching routine.
The chemistry is a deliberate hybrid. Lignosulphonate contributes the cohesion, the retarding action and the slump retention that keep concrete manageable during placement and transit; the polycarboxylate ether fraction adds the sharper water-reduction efficiency that lignosulphonate alone cannot reach. The two work together rather than in sequence, so a single dose gives you a cohesive, non-bleeding mix that also carries a real strength dividend. Because chloride content is nil, it is safe to specify in reinforced and prestressed sections under IS 456 and EN 206, and it is compatible with OPC and blended cements as well as the wider Centrament admixture range.
The technical insight
The water reduction comes from dispersion, not from any change to the cement itself. When cement meets water the fine particles clump together and trap a portion of the mixing water inside those flocs, water that is then unavailable to lubricate the mix. Centrament Plast 300 attacks that problem from two directions. The lignosulphonate adsorbs onto the cement grains and gives them a like charge, so they repel one another and the flocs break apart; the PCE component reinforces this with steric hindrance, its comb-shaped molecules physically holding the grains apart. Freed of the trapped water, the paste flows at the same slump with 10-18% less water in the batch. That lower water-to-cement ratio is what raises compressive strength and tightens the pore structure for better durability, while the lignosulphonate’s moderate retarding effect, typically a 1.0-2.0 hour extension of initial set, is what buys the slump retention you feel during a longer pour or a hot-weather haul.
Where it is used
- General structural concrete in the M25 to M50 grade range, with M30 to M45 as the sweet spot
- Ready-mix concrete requiring reliable slump retention over transit time to site
- Columns, beams, rafts and suspended slabs where strength and durability both matter
- Reinforced and prestressed elements, since the admixture is chloride-free
- Pours in warm or hot conditions where the moderate retardation helps hold workability
- Blended-cement mixes (PPC, PSC, fly-ash and slag concretes) needing water reduction
- Situations where a mid-range water reduction is wanted without paying for a full high-range PCE
- Improving finish and reducing bleed in cohesive structural mixes
Key advantages
- Delivers 10-18% water reduction at constant slump, a meaningful strength and durability gain
- Hybrid chemistry combines lignosulphonate cohesion with PCE dispersion efficiency in one dose
- Good slump retention keeps concrete workable through transit and placement
- Nil chloride content, safe for reinforced and prestressed concrete under IS 456 and EN 206
- Conforms to ASTM C494 Type D and IS 9103 Type 4 for specification confidence
- Compatible with OPC and all common blended cements
- Works alongside other Centrament admixtures for tailored mix designs
- Mid-range positioning gives strong value where extreme slump is not required
Limitations & considerations
- Not a high-range superplasticiser, so it will not produce the very high slump or self-compacting flow of a full PCE
- Its retarding action extends initial set by roughly 1-2 hours, which needs planning around striking times and cold-weather pours
- The optimum dose depends on cement type, ambient temperature and target slump, so trial mixes are essential
- Overdosing can cause excessive retardation and bleeding rather than better performance
- As a water reducer it improves an already sound mix design; it cannot compensate for a poor aggregate grading or wrong water content
Selection & best practice
Always fix the dose by trial mix against your actual cement, aggregates and target slump rather than defaulting to a mid-range figure. Start around 0.4-0.5% by mass of cement and adjust within the 0.3-0.8% window to hit the workability and water reduction you need. Add the admixture with the mixing water, or better, delay it slightly into the already-wetted mix, which usually improves dispersion and water-reduction efficiency; never add it to dry cement. Because the product retards initial set by one to two hours, brief the site on revised finishing and formwork-striking times, and take extra care in cool weather where the delay is more pronounced. Do not mix it with a second water reducer from another family without checking compatibility, and keep the drum sealed and stored away from frost and direct heat to protect the admixture before use.
Specifications
| Product type | Lignosulphonate-PCE hybrid plasticising and water-reducing admixture |
| Chemical base | Synergistic lignosulphonate and polycarboxylate ether (PCE) blend |
| Standards | ASTM C494 Type D; IS 9103 Type 4 |
| Dosage range | 0.3-0.8% by mass of cement (300-800 mL per 100 kg cement) |
| Water reduction | 10-18% at constant slump vs reference concrete |
| Effect on set time | Moderate retardation, typically 1.0-2.0 hours extension of initial set |
| Chloride content | Nil, safe for reinforced and prestressed concrete (IS 456, EN 206) |
| Suitable concrete grades | M25 to M50; primary range M30 to M45 |
| Cement compatibility | All OPC and blended cements; compatible with other Centrament admixtures |
Industry use cases
Ready-Mix Concrete (RMC)
Holds slump through plant-to-site transit while cutting water for consistent M30-M45 supply to multiple pours.
Commercial & Residential Buildings
Improves strength and durability in columns, beams and slabs where a mid-range plasticiser is the sensible spec.
Infrastructure Works
Chloride-free formulation suits reinforced elements in bridges, culverts and retaining structures.
Precast Yards
Delivers cohesive, low-bleed mixes with a controlled set, aiding finish quality in blended-cement precast.
Hot-Weather Concreting
The moderate retardation preserves workability during warm-climate pours common across much of India.
Frequently asked questions
Is Centrament Plast 300 a superplasticiser or a plasticiser?
What dosage should I use?
Will it delay my concrete setting?
Is it safe for reinforced and prestressed concrete?
Which standards does it meet?
Can I use it with blended cements and other admixtures?
How we position MC-Bauchemie Centrament Plast 300
Within the MC-Bauchemie Centrament family, Centrament Plast 300 is the mid-range workhorse. If your mix needs true high-range performance, high slump or self-compacting flow, step up to a Centrament PCE-based superplasticiser; if you also need air entrainment or viscosity control, it pairs with Centrament Air and Centrament VMA in the same range, keeping the whole admixture package on one compatible platform. Across our other brands, engineers who standardise on a particular supplier will find equivalent mid-range water reducers in the Fosroc Conplast and Sika ranges, and for waterproofing-integral concrete we can pair the admixture with an integral crystalline or hydrophobic system rather than relying on the plasticiser alone. Talk to our technical team and we will match the exact admixture to your grade, cement and site conditions.
Fosroc Conplast P211 — Specifiers already standardised on Fosroc can choose Conplast P211, a chloride-free lignosulphonate water reducer to IS 9103 and ASTM C494, though it is a Type A plasticiser without the added PCE water-reduction of Centrament Plast 300.
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