KENYA STANDARD                    KS 2 769-6:2018 
                
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Admixtures for concrete, mortar and grout — 
Test methods Admixtures for concrete, 
mortar and grout - Test methods - Part  6: 
Infrared analysis  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
©KEBS 2018                         First  Edition 2018 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  KS 2769 -6:2018                                                                                                 
          
 
ii                     © KEBS 201 8 — All rights reserved   
TECHNICAL COMMITEE  REPRESENTATION  
 
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee:  
 
1. Architectural Association of  Kenya  
2. Bamburi Cement  
3. CHRYSO Eastern Africa Limited  
4. Concrete Products (K)Ltd  
5. Consumer Information Network  
6. Howards Humpreys East Africa L TD 
7. Institute of quantity surveyors of Kenya  
8. Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (KIRDI  
9. Kenya Institute of Highways and Building Technology (KIHBT)  
10. Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development.  
11. National Environment Ma nagement Authority  
12. National Housing Corporation  
13. Technical University of Kenya  
14. University of Nairobi  
15. Kenya Bureau of Standards — Secretariat  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
REVISION OF KENYA STANDARDS  
 
In order to keep abreast of progress in industry, Kenya Standards shall be r egularly reviewed. Suggestions 
for improvements to published standards, addressed to the Managing Director, Kenya Bureau of Standards, 
are welcome.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© Kenya Bureau of Standards, 20 18 
  
Copyright. Users are reminded that by virtue of Section 25 of the Copyright Act, Cap. 12 of 2001  of the Laws of Kenya, copyright 
subsists in all Kenya Standards and except as provided under Section 26 of this Act, no Kenya Standard produced by Kenya Bure au of 
Standards may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system  in any form or transmitted by any means without prior permission in writing 
from the Managing Director . 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 KENY A STANDARD                                  KS 2769 -2:2018 
                
 © KEBS 201 8 — All rights reserved            iii  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Admixtures for concrete, mortar and grout — 
Test methods Admixtures for concrete, 
mortar and grout - Test methods - Part  6: 
Infrared analysis  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KENYA BUREAU OF STANDARDS (KEBS)  
 
Head Office:  P.O. Box 54974, Nairobi -00200, Tel.: (+ 254 020 ) 605490, 602350, Fax: (+254 020 ) 604031  
E-Mail: info@kebs.org,  Web:http://www.kebs.org   
 
Coast Region     Lake Region          Rift Valley Region  
P.O. Box 99376, Mombasa -80100   P.O. Box 2949, Kisumu -40100        P.O. Box 2138, Nakuru -20100  
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Fax: (+254  041) 229448    Fax: (+254 057) 2 1814         
 
 
 
 
  KS 2769 -6:2018                                                                                                 
          
 
iv                     © KEBS 201 8 — All rights reserved  Foreword  
 
This Kenya Standard was revised  by the Concrete Technical Committee, under the guidance of the 
standards Projects Committee, and it is in accordance with the procedures of the  Kenya  Bureau  of 
Standards .  
This Kenya Standard is pa rt of the series KS 2769  Admixtures for concrete, mortar and grout — Test 
methods which comprises the following:  
 
— Part 1: Reference concrete and reference mortar for testing  
 
— Part 2: Determination of setting time  
 
— Part 4: Determination of bleeding of  concrete  
 
— Part 5: Determination of capillary absorption  
 
— Part 6: Infrared analysis  
 
— Part 8: Determination of the conventional dry material content  
 
— Part 10: Determination of water soluble chloride content  
 
— Part 11: Determination of air void char acteristics in hardened concrete  
 
— Part 12: Determination of the alkali content of admixtures  
 
— Part 13: Reference masonry mortar for testing mortar admixtures  
 
— Part 14: Determination of the effect on corrosion susceptibility of reinforcing steel by po tentiostatic  
electro -chemical test  
 
— Part 15: Reference concrete and method for testing viscosity modifying admixtures  
 
This standard is applicable together with the standards of the series KS 2770  Admixtures for concrete, 
mortar  and grout.  
 
. 
 
                     
 
 
© KEBS 201 8 — All rights reserved         
      5 
 KENYA  STANDARD                 KS 2769 -6:2017  
 
Admixtures for concrete, mortar and grout — Test methods 
Admixtures for concrete, mortar and grout - Test methods - Part  6: 
Infrared analysis  
 
1. Scope  
This document describes a method for identifying an admixture by in frared analysis (IR).  
2.  Normative references  
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated 
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced 
docume nt (including any amendments) applies.  
KS 2769 -8, Admixtures for concrete, mortar and grout - Test methods - Part 8: Determination of the 
conventional dry material content.  
3.  Principle  
The IR analysis is performed on dry material from an admixture dried at (105 ± 3) °C, unless a different 
temperature is stated by the manufacturer.  
The residue from the determination of the conventional dry material content according to KS 2769 -8 may 
be used.  
4.  Apparatus  
 
4.1. Infrared spectrometer with accessories (cells, pelleting  press, NaCI windows, etc.);  
 
4.2. Evaporating dish with a flat bottom ca. diameter 75 mm, depth 45 mm;  
 
4.3.  Desiccator;  
 
4.4.  Oven with forced ventilation1, thermostatically controlled at (105 ± 3) °C, fitted with a 
temperature indicating device. The required temper ature range shall be maintained throughout the parts 
of the oven used for this test;  
 
4.5.  Balance with an accuracy of 0.5 g.  
 
5. Procedure  
 
5.1. Preparation of the dry material  
The method given in KS 2769 -8 shall be used2.  
5.2.  Infrared spectrophotometry  
Depending upon the consistence of the dry extract obtained, the test shall be carried out either on a thin 
film  spread on the NaCI window (or KBr or Cs/ window depending upon the equipment available) using a 
spatula, or a KBr pellet. To make the pellet the dry residue s hall be pulverised and mixed with potassium 
bromide (KBr). The mixture shall be pressed into a pellet. The quantity of dry extract in the mixture shall 
                                                      
1 Fan circulation is necessary to ensure uniform tempe rature throughout the oven.  
 
2 Any water in the dry extract will affect the resulting IR spectrum. If this occurs , the period of drying 
should extended to remove all water but not to cause breakdown or evaporation of other constituents.  KS 2 769-6: 201 8 
            
 be about 1 % by mass and shall be adjusted so that a spectrum of good quality is obtained (e.g. from 
0.25 % to 1.5 %).  
The spectrum shall be recorded between 4 000 cm-1 and 600 cm-1 (or if possible up to 250 cm-1).3) 
6. Results  
 
The sample subjected to the test shall be regarded as conforming or non -conforming to the reference 
sample on the basis of whether the  spectra do or do not have similar characteristic peaks with  
corresponding relative absorptions45). 
7.  Test report  
 
The recorded spectra shall be identified by means of:  
— name or code of the material with all information relating to its marking;  
— date of the test, the name of the laboratory, the type of equipment, the name of the operator;  
— origin of the sample;  
— drying procedure;  
— preparation of the samples, e.g. film or KBr pellet containing x %.  
 
                                                      
3 This procedure c orresponds to the preparation of samples as generally adopted until now. The 
development of new instruments may affect the method of preparing the sample.  
 
These new methods may be accepted if they ensure an accuracy similar to that of the method described  
above.  
 
4 Evaluation of the characteristic of conformity requires good experience in infrared spectrophotometry.