What type of admixture is known as a "plasticizer"?

Plasticizers are a type of water-reducing admixture that enhance the workability of concrete without the need for additional water. By reducing the water content required for a given consistency, plasticizers help improve the flow properties of the concrete mix. This results in a more workable mixture that can be easily placed and finished, all while maintaining the strength and durability of the setting concrete.

Water-reducing admixtures achieve this by altering the surface properties of the cement particles, allowing for better dispersion and reducing the friction between them. This characteristic makes them particularly valuable in construction applications where workability is a concern, especially in intricate formwork or during cold weather where concrete might be hard to manipulate.

In contrast, set accelerating admixtures aim to speed up the setting time of concrete, while set retarding admixtures extend the setting time. Corrosive inhibiting admixtures, on the other hand, primarily work to protect against corrosion, particularly in steel reinforcement. Thus, they serve different functions that do not directly deal with improving workability in the way plasticizers do.