Lignosulfonate or lignin sulfonate is a brown powder consisting of a sulfonate salt made from waste liquor of the sulfate pulping process of soft wood. The single largest use for lignosulfonates is as plasticizers in making concrete, where they allow concrete to be made with less water (giving stronger concrete) while maintaining the ability of the concrete to flow. They are also used to suppress dust on unpaved roads. Also one of the very wide uses of lignosulfonates is deflocculation of clays used in drilling fluids in the oil and gas industry.