A cellular concrete foaming agent is one of the key ingredients to a cellular lightweight concrete. This foamed concrete is prepared by using gas-forming chemicals of the foaming agent at measured levels and mixing them with cement slurry to form a closed cell structure.
The cellular structure of the concrete consists of cement, water, aggregate and air voids with a capillary pore volume of up to 70%. It is light in weight and highly compressive-resistant.
It is important to understand the microstructure of cellular concrete because it affects its thermal resistance, sorptivity coefficient and mechanical properties. It also has a significant effect on water absorption.
Various foaming agents have been tested to determine their influence on the properties of cellular concrete. Results indicate that the type of foaming agent has a major effect on both thermal and sorptivity properties but less of an impact on the mechanical properties.
Foaming agents with a high dilution ratio have been found to be more stable than those with lower dilution ratios. This is because the foaming agent can bind the water in an even distribution throughout the foam. This binding of the water enables the concrete to set in a shorter period of time and achieve greater strength.
The water-cement ratio is a critical factor in determining the density and strength of the foamed concrete mixture. The density and strength of the concrete drop off dramatically when the water-cement ratio exceeds 0.5. However, the maximum mechanical strength of the cellular concrete can be achieved when the water-cement ratio is between 0.4 and 0.5.
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