MC-Bauchemie Centrament N BV
A chloride-free, normal-range plasticizer that trims mixing water and lifts strength without gambling on reinforcement corrosion or overpaying for performance the mix doesn’t need.
What is it?
A liquid, chloride-free normal-range concrete plasticizer (water reducer) from MC-Bauchemie, dosed at 0.15-0.3% by weight of cement to improve workability and strength.
Where is it used?
Site-batched and ready-mix concrete, including reinforced and pre-stressed work, across residential, commercial and infrastructure pours pan-India.
Why use it?
Cuts mixing water without sacrificing slump, lifts compressive strength, keeps the mix homogeneous and bleed-free, and carries zero chloride risk to reinforcement.
How is it applied?
Metered into the mixing water, ideally after about 70% of the gauging water is already in the drum, then mixed long enough for the plasticizing action to fully develop before placing.
About MC-Bauchemie Centrament N BV
Centrament N BV is MC-Bauchemie’s workhorse normal plasticizer for the Indian market — the same class of admixture IS 9103 groups as a Type A water reducer — sold today under the Centrament banner after MC folded its older EmcePlast range into a single global naming system (the TDS still credits it as “Formerly known as EmcePlast BV”). Dosed at a modest 0.15-0.3% by weight of cement, it lowers the surface tension of the gauging water so cement and aggregate wet out more completely, letting a site or RMC batch either cut water for a tighter w/c ratio or hold slump longer without pouring in extra water the mix design never asked for.
What earns it a place on this list is restraint rather than spectacle. It isn’t chasing the flow-table numbers a PCE superplasticizer delivers; it’s built to do one job cleanly — economical, chloride-free water reduction — for site-batched RCC, ready-mix supply and even pre-stressed elements where a stray chloride ion is a liability, not a convenience. Space Arc stocks it as an entry-point admixture for contractors who need dependable slump and strength gain on conventional M20-M35 work without paying superplasticizer pricing for performance the mix doesn’t actually need.
The technical insight
Centrament N BV sits in the normal-plasticizer bracket rather than the polycarboxylate-ether (PCE) high-range bracket MC reserves for its Muraplast/MC-PowerFlow lines. Products in this class typically work through lignosulfonate- or hydroxycarboxylic-acid-type dispersants that adsorb onto cement particles and reduce the surface tension of the mixing water, rather than the steric/electrostatic comb-polymer action PCE chains use for aggressive water reduction. That gives normal plasticizers a gentler, more forgiving dosage-response curve — useful on sites where dosing discipline is inconsistent — but a correspondingly modest water-reduction ceiling, typically in the high single digits to low teens as a percentage, well short of the 20-30%+ a PCE superplasticizer can pull out of a mix. It’s the right tool when the goal is dependable slump and strength gain on conventional grades, not when the mix needs to flow, pump long distances, or self-compact.
Where it is used
- Ready-mix concrete supply needing dependable slump retention during transit to site
- Site-batched RCC on residential and low/mid-rise commercial pours across Delhi NCR
- Reinforced concrete where chloride-free dosing is a non-negotiable specification
- Pre-stressed concrete elements such as PSC girders and slabs, per MC’s stated suitability
- Columns, beams, slabs and footings where a lower w/c ratio is wanted without redesigning the mix
- Combination dosing with Centrament Retard, Centrament VMA or Centrament Air for engineered mixes
- Small precast and casting-yard work needing homogeneous, bleed-free concrete
- Budget-sensitive RMC batching where a full PCE superplasticizer isn’t justified
Key advantages
- Increases slump at low dosage (0.15-0.3% by weight of cement)
- Improves compressive strength by enabling a lower effective water-cement ratio
- Chloride-free — no corrosion risk to reinforcement or pre-stressing steel
- Reduces mixing-water demand by lowering the surface tension of the gauging water
- Keeps concrete homogeneous and free from bleeding without entraining extra air
- Works with all standard cement types and is compatible with other MC admixtures
- Very economical relative to high-range PCE superplasticizers
- Improves overall rheological behaviour of the fresh mix
Limitations & considerations
- It’s a normal-range plasticizer, not a superplasticizer — water reduction sits in the modest single-digit-to-low-teens percentage typical of this class, well short of a PCE high-range admixture
- The public TDS doesn’t publish specific gravity, chloride content in ppm, or an explicit IS 9103/ASTM C494 type classification — critical-project submittals will need MC’s lab documentation directly
- MC’s own datasheet asks for a site trial to fix optimum dosage, since cement brand, sand and site conditions shift the ideal point within the 0.15-0.3% band
- Carries a slight retarding effect per MC’s product listing, so hot-weather or high-cement-content mixes need dosage timing considered
- Overdosing outside the recommended band risks bleeding, segregation or extended setting time
- Liquid product with a 12-month shelf life supplied only in 250 kg drums or 30 kg cans, so it needs covered, temperature-protected storage rather than casual site handling
Selection & best practice
Dose Centrament N BV into the mixing water — ideally after around 70% of the gauging water is already in the drum — never onto the dry cement/aggregate charge, and run the mixer long enough afterward for the plasticizing action to fully develop before discharge. Because cement source, sand grading, ambient temperature and site conditions all shift the ideal rate within the 0.15-0.3% band, MC’s own datasheet calls for a site trial before finalising dosage on any given job. Stay inside that band: overdosing, especially when combined with retarding or high-range products, can cause bleeding, segregation or extended setting time. Pair the treated concrete with an Emcoril-range curing compound, as MC’s datasheet notes, so the strength gain the admixture is delivering isn’t lost to early water loss.
Specifications
| Type of Product | Chloride-free concrete plasticizer / water reducer |
| Form | Liquid |
| Colour | Brown |
| Dosage | 0.15% – 0.30% by weight of cement |
| Pack Sizes | 250 kg drums, 30 kg cans |
| Shelf Life | 12 months from date of manufacture |
| Storage | Unopened packaging; protect from rain, direct sunlight, heat and frost |
| Former Name | EmcePlast BV (pre-rebrand) |
Industry use cases
Ready-Mix Concrete
RMC plant standardising a single chloride-free normal plasticizer across M20-M30 site supply instead of juggling multiple admixture SKUs.
Pre-stressed Concrete
PSC girder or slab casting yard needing consistent workability retention through the pour without introducing chloride risk to prestressing strand.
Residential & Commercial RCC
Contractor tightening the water-cement ratio on columns, beams and slabs for better durability at lower admixture cost than a PCE superplasticizer.
Mass & Hot-Weather Concreting
Combination dosing with Centrament Retard or Centrament VMA to manage set time and cohesion on large or hot-weather pours.
Precast & Casting Yards
Small precast units relying on bleed-free, homogeneous mixes for consistent surface finish and dimensional control.
Frequently asked questions
Is Centrament N BV a superplasticizer?
What dosage should we use?
Does it contain chloride, and is it safe for reinforced or pre-stressed work?
What pack sizes does Space Arc supply?
Can it be dosed alongside other admixtures?
Wasn’t this product sold under a different name earlier?
How we position MC-Bauchemie Centrament N BV
Centrament N BV is the normal-plasticizer entry point in MC’s India admixture family. Pair it with Centrament Retard for retarded or hot-weather mixes, Centrament VMA where cohesion or anti-washout behaviour matters, or Centrament Air where deliberate air entrainment is specified, and step up to MC’s PCE-based Muraplast/MC-PowerFlow range once a project needs high-range water reduction or pumped/self-compacting concrete. Where a specifier is already Fosroc-anchored, Conplast P211 is the genuine functional match — also a chloride-free Type A water reducer at a comparable dosage band — and a reasonable substitution on projects standardised to the Fosroc admixture range.
Fosroc Conplast P211 — A specifier already standardised on Fosroc’s admixture range, or needing IS 9103/ASTM C494 Type A documentation bundled with a Fosroc-brand submittal, might choose Conplast P211 over Centrament N BV for that paperwork continuity alone.
Related Concrete Admixtures products
Source MC-Bauchemie Centrament N BV for your project
Authorised distribution, technical advice & professional application across Delhi NCR and Pan-India.