Adhesion
The ability of a material to bond to another surface or substrate. In polymer-modified mortars, adhesion can be influenced by formulation, polymer type, open time, substrate and curing conditions.
Technical Glossary
Construction Additive Terms — Explained in Practical Language
Use this glossary when reviewing MICHEM technical data sheets, formulation guides and product information.
Definitions are written for practical product understanding. Exact test methods and product specifications should always be checked in the relevant technical document.
Lexicon Index
Construction Additive Terms — A to C
Use this glossary when reviewing MICHEM technical data sheets, formulation guides and product information.
A Three terms
Air Control
Management of entrained or trapped air in a formulation. Air can influence density, workability, bonding, surface quality and mechanical performance.
Ash Content
The inorganic residue remaining after a defined heating or test procedure. In a TDS, ash content is one characteristic used to describe and compare product grades.
B One term
Bulk Density
The mass of a loose powder per unit bulk volume. Bulk density is useful for product handling and characterization but should not be used alone to predict application performance.
C Five terms
Calcium Formate
A calcium salt used in construction materials as an accelerating additive. MICHEM documentation describes its use for faster hydration/setting and early-strength development, particularly under low-temperature conditions.
Cellulose Ether
A modified cellulose-based polymer used to provide functions such as thickening, water retention, suspension, binding and workability control.
CMC — Carboxymethyl Cellulose
A cellulose ether used in different industrial formulations as a water-soluble functional polymer. Application requirements determine the appropriate grade.
Cohesion
The internal strength or integrity of a material. Polymer powders and formulation balance can influence cohesion in mortar systems.
Crack Control
Reduction or management of cracking through formulation, curing, fibers or other measures. Synthetic microfiber is commonly used for plastic-shrinkage crack control, while macrofibers may be selected for toughness and reinforcement requirements.
A structured production hall — where glossary terms meet batch handling and dispatch.
D Two terms
Defoamer
An additive used to reduce unwanted bubbles or foam. MICHEM DP500 documentation describes a powder defoamer for dry-mix and pre-mixed mortar systems.
Dry-Mix Mortar
A factory-blended dry formulation that is mixed with water before application. Dry-mix systems may contain binders, aggregates, fillers, polymers and several functional additives.
E Two terms
EIFS / ETICS
Exterior insulation finishing / thermal insulation composite systems. Polymer powders and cellulose ethers are commonly used in cementitious adhesive and base-coat formulations for these systems.
Efflorescence
Visible salt deposits that can appear on mineral surfaces. Water movement and formulation design can influence the risk of efflorescence.
F One term
Flexibility
The ability of a material to tolerate deformation without brittle failure. Polymer modification can be used to improve flexibility in cementitious systems.
H Five terms
HEC — Hydroxyethyl Cellulose
A non-ionic water-soluble cellulose ether used for water retention, thickening and suspension. MICHEM brochure materials include applications in paints/coatings, detergents and oil-field systems.
HEMC / MHEC — Hydroxyethyl Methyl Cellulose
A non-ionic water-soluble cellulose ether commonly used in construction materials for thickening, water retention, workability and sag/slip control.
HPMC — Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose
A non-ionic water-soluble cellulose ether used as a thickener, binder, suspending agent and water-retention agent. Different viscosity and application-focused grades are used according to formulation requirements.
Hydrophobic Agent
An additive used to reduce water absorption and provide water repellency. MICHEM SHP 90 is an organosilicon-based hydrophobic powder for dry-mix systems.
Hydroxypropyl Starch Ether — HPS
A modified starch used to improve thickening, workability, stability and sag resistance in dry-mix formulations. It is often evaluated together with cellulose ether.
A concrete slab — workability, water reduction and fiber terms in field conditions.
M One term
MFFT — Minimum Film-Forming Temperature
The minimum temperature at which a polymer can form a continuous film under defined conditions. MFFT is an important RDP characteristic, but final mortar performance depends on the complete formulation and curing conditions.
O One term
Open Time
The usable period after application during which the material can still achieve the required working or bonding performance.
P Three terms
PCE — Polycarboxylate Superplasticizer
A high-performance water-reducing admixture used to improve flow/workability while reducing the water-to-cementitious-material ratio.
Polymer Modification
The use of polymer materials, such as redispersible polymer powder, to modify properties of mineral formulations including adhesion, cohesion, flexibility and impact resistance.
Protective Colloid
A material used in the manufacture/stabilization of some polymer powders. Several MICHEM RDP documents identify polyvinyl alcohol as the protective colloid system.
An industrial plant — polymer, cellulose ether and admixture terms at production scale.
R Two terms
RDP — Redispersible Polymer Powder
A spray-dried polymer powder that redisperses in water. MICHEM RDP materials are primarily based on vinyl acetate–ethylene copolymer and are used to modify dry-mix mortar properties.
Rheology
The flow and deformation behavior of a material. In mortar and coating formulations, rheology influences consistency, sag resistance, flow, application feel and stability.
S Seven terms
Sag Resistance
The ability of a material to resist downward movement after application on a vertical surface.
SDS — Safety Data Sheet
A product-specific safety document used to communicate information relevant to handling, storage and other safety considerations.
Self-Leveling Compound
A cementitious or other flooring material designed to flow and form a level surface. Additives may be used to control flow, stability, air, setting and surface quality.
Slip Resistance
In tile-adhesive terminology, the ability of the applied adhesive to limit downward movement of the tile before setting.
Solid Content
The proportion of non-volatile solids in a material under the defined test method. Many MICHEM powder products specify high solid content as a technical characteristic.
Synthetic Macrofiber
A relatively large synthetic reinforcement fiber used to improve toughness, fatigue resistance and crack-control performance in concrete applications.
Synthetic Microfiber
A fine synthetic fiber used primarily to control plastic-shrinkage cracking and improve selected durability-related properties in mortar and concrete.
Process towers — viscosity, water retention and film-forming terms at industrial scale.
T Two terms
TDS — Technical Data Sheet
A document describing the typical characteristics, intended use and general technical information for a product grade.
Thixotropy
A rheological behavior in which a material changes flow resistance under shear and rebuilds structure when shear is removed. In mortar, thixotropic behavior is often related to application stability and non-sag performance.
V Two terms
VAE — Vinyl Acetate–Ethylene
A copolymer chemistry commonly used as the polymer base for redispersible polymer powders.
Viscosity
A measure of resistance to flow under a defined test method and concentration. Always compare viscosity values only when the test method and conditions are comparable.
W Three terms
Water Reduction
The reduction in mixing water needed to achieve a target workability. Superplasticizers are used to provide water-reducing performance in cementitious systems.
Water Retention
The ability of a formulation to retain water instead of losing it rapidly to the substrate or environment. Cellulose ethers are widely used to improve water retention in mortar systems.
Workability
The practical ease of mixing, handling, spreading, pumping, troweling or otherwise applying a material. Workability is a combined result of the complete formulation and processing conditions.
Formulation Context
Need a Term Explained in Your Formulation Context?
A definition is only the starting point. If you need to understand how a technical term affects a specific formulation, send us the application and the property you are evaluating.