Both sodium hypophosphite and mercaptopropionic acid can be used in polycarboxylate superplasticizers for concrete, and currently these two products account for a major share in superplasticizer production. What are the differences between sodium hypophosphite and mercaptopropionic acid? Why do people sometimes prefer the former and sometimes the latter? Actually, these two products are completely different, mainly differing in usage, effectiveness, and price.

Mercaptopropionic acid is an oily liquid organic sulfur compound. In earlier years, mercaptopropionic acid was used in large quantities in concrete superplasticizers, mainly because of its relatively low price and high cost-effectiveness, making it popular among concrete formulation technicians. However, its disadvantages include high corrosiveness, strong odor, harsh working environment, and significant pressure on safety during operation, leading to its gradual reduction and phasing out.

When the price of sodium hypophosphite remained around 20,000 yuan, it was widely used as a main raw material in water-reducing agent formulations due to its ease of use, odorless nature, environmental friendliness, safety, and high efficiency. Its usage in this formulation system surged in China, particularly between 2017 and 2021. However, the disadvantages of NaH2PO2 are also obvious. Its price is subject to fluctuations in the raw material market, sometimes reaching 60,000 to 80,000 yuan. Such high prices were unacceptable to the water-reducing agent industry, leading to a significant decrease in its use in 2022.

In short, both sodium hypophosphite and mercaptopropionic acid have their own applicable industries and markets. As long as prices return to a rational level, market demand will steadily increase. In the long run, as long as the price of NaH2PO2 is reasonable, its application in the water-reducing agent industry will gradually increase.