Stability of three-dimensional printable foam concrete as function of surfactant characteristics

Abstract

Extrudability is one of the most critical factors when designing three-dimensional printable foam concrete. The extrusion process likely affects the foam stability which necessitates the investigation into surfactant properties particularly for concrete mixes with high foam contents. Although many studies have been conducted on traditional foam concrete in this context, studies on three-dimensional printed foam concrete are scarce. To address this research gap, the effects of surfactant characteristics on the stability, extrudability, and buildability of three-dimensional printed foam concrete mixes with two design densities (1000 and 1300 kg/m³) using two different surfactants and stabilizers (synthetic-based sodium lauryl sulfate stabilized with carboxymethyl cellulose sodium salt, and natural-based hingot surfactant stabilized with xanthan gum) were investigated in this study. Fresh density tests were conducted before and after the extrusion to determine stability of the foam concrete. The results were then correlated with surfactant qualities, such as viscosity and surface tension, to understand the importance of key parameters in three-dimensional printing of foam concrete. Based on the experimental results, surfactant solu1tion with viscosity exceeding 5 mPa·s and surface tension lower than 31 mN/m was recommended to yield stable three-dimensional printable foam concrete mixes. Nevertheless, the volume of foam in the mix significantly affected the printability characteristics. Unlike traditional foam concrete, the variation in the stabilizer concentration and density of concrete were found to have insignificant effect on the fresh-state-characteristics (slump, slump flow, and static yield stress) and air void microstructure of the stable mixes.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

foam concrete / 3D printable concrete / stability / rheology / air void microstructure

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the support from the Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, India.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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