Foam Index
Encyclopedia
Foam Index test is a rapid method to determine the relative levels of Air Entraining Agent (AEA) needed during concrete
mixing, with or without mineral
additives like combustion fly ash
, that control air void volumes within cured concrete.
Fly ash from pulverized coal
combustion
is a typical mineral admixture utilized in the production of concrete, where it partially replaces cement
and improves concrete workability, pumping characteristics, hardness and resistance to alkali attack. However, cement and components of fly ash adsorb AEA’s to different extents, making it more difficult to routinely impart the correct amount of entrained air into concrete. The Foam Index Test was developed to measure capacities of AEA for cement-mineral admixtures during concrete mixing.
The Foam Index Test is a laboratory titration procedure which determines the AEA absorption on fly ash or fly ash and cement mixtures. An AEA is titrated into a fly ash and cement suspension and the suspension is shaken. The added AEA leads to foam formation on top of the liquid surface, which initially behaves in an unstable manner. At the endpoint of the test, the AEA absorption sites are “saturated” and the AEA contributes to foam
formation on the top of the mixture. The amount of AEA required to obtain stable foam depends on fly ash quality, fly ash-cement interactions, and characteristics of the AEA. Some fly ashes, typically those with high unburned carbon contents, tend to adsorb high amounts of AEA, i.e. more AEA is needed to obtain stable foam
.
• A “Stable Foam” is achieved when no open areas of liquid show for at least 30–45 seconds on the surface of the foam. Bubbles break rapidly at AEA levels below the “Index” level. Bubbles will still break for several increments above the “Index” level as well … don’t continue adding AEA trying to stop the breaking bubbles. This point is difficult to judge at first. Run the same material several times in a row to help calibrate your “eye.”
• Although the Foam Index test is not designed to determine the actual AEA dosage amounts needed for concrete, it is possible to standardize procedures to determine AEA dosage amounts. It is also a good test to determine if specific materials will require more or less AEA relative to others. If the test is performed on the same materials and a plot of the results charted against required AEA dosages, correlations are possible between AEA dosage requirements and Foam Index test results.
; unstable foams have breaking bubbles. When bubbles break they produce unique acoustic signatures, the dynamic properties of which are measured by the detectors incorporated into the AFIT instrument. The outcome is quantitative, repeatable foam index values and foaming measurements.
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
mixing, with or without mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
additives like combustion fly ash
Fly ash
Fly ash is one of the residues generated in combustion, and comprises the fine particles that rise with the flue gases. Ash which does not rise is termed bottom ash. In an industrial context, fly ash usually refers to ash produced during combustion of coal...
, that control air void volumes within cured concrete.
Introduction
AEA surfactants are added into concrete mixes to impart stable air microbubbles to give air void volumes between ~ 5%–10%. Besides increasing workability, adding the correct amount of AEA during concrete mixing improves its resistance to cracking during freeze and thaw cycles. Adding too much AEA during mixing decreases concrete strengths.Fly ash from pulverized coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
combustion
Combustion
Combustion or burning is the sequence of exothermic chemical reactions between a fuel and an oxidant accompanied by the production of heat and conversion of chemical species. The release of heat can result in the production of light in the form of either glowing or a flame...
is a typical mineral admixture utilized in the production of concrete, where it partially replaces cement
Cement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
and improves concrete workability, pumping characteristics, hardness and resistance to alkali attack. However, cement and components of fly ash adsorb AEA’s to different extents, making it more difficult to routinely impart the correct amount of entrained air into concrete. The Foam Index Test was developed to measure capacities of AEA for cement-mineral admixtures during concrete mixing.
The Foam Index Test is a laboratory titration procedure which determines the AEA absorption on fly ash or fly ash and cement mixtures. An AEA is titrated into a fly ash and cement suspension and the suspension is shaken. The added AEA leads to foam formation on top of the liquid surface, which initially behaves in an unstable manner. At the endpoint of the test, the AEA absorption sites are “saturated” and the AEA contributes to foam
Foam
-Definition:A foam is a substance that is formed by trapping gas in a liquid or solid in a divided form, i.e. by forming gas regions inside liquid regions, leading to different kinds of dispersed media...
formation on the top of the mixture. The amount of AEA required to obtain stable foam depends on fly ash quality, fly ash-cement interactions, and characteristics of the AEA. Some fly ashes, typically those with high unburned carbon contents, tend to adsorb high amounts of AEA, i.e. more AEA is needed to obtain stable foam
Foam
-Definition:A foam is a substance that is formed by trapping gas in a liquid or solid in a divided form, i.e. by forming gas regions inside liquid regions, leading to different kinds of dispersed media...
.
Procedure of foam index test
Adding diluted AEA one drop at a time is the most accurate way to measure the foam index, especially when trying to develop your ability to duplicate the test. You may want to add five drops at a time at first with a high dosage rate material until you get near the “Index” level. The traditional way to identify foam index values is by visual observation.• A “Stable Foam” is achieved when no open areas of liquid show for at least 30–45 seconds on the surface of the foam. Bubbles break rapidly at AEA levels below the “Index” level. Bubbles will still break for several increments above the “Index” level as well … don’t continue adding AEA trying to stop the breaking bubbles. This point is difficult to judge at first. Run the same material several times in a row to help calibrate your “eye.”
• Although the Foam Index test is not designed to determine the actual AEA dosage amounts needed for concrete, it is possible to standardize procedures to determine AEA dosage amounts. It is also a good test to determine if specific materials will require more or less AEA relative to others. If the test is performed on the same materials and a plot of the results charted against required AEA dosages, correlations are possible between AEA dosage requirements and Foam Index test results.
Automated Foam Index Test(AFIT)
The AFIT instrument quantifies the dynamic foaming properties of air entraining agents, surfactants and foaming materials. It makes these measurements without intrusion of a probe or device into a working environment. Appropriate foam stabilities are necessary for proper performance of the materials onto/into which AEA’s or surfactants are applied. Stable foams have stable bubblesLiquid bubble
A bubble is a globule of one substance in another, usually gas in a liquid.Due to the Marangoni effect, bubbles may remain intact when they reach the surface of the immersive substance.-Common examples:...
; unstable foams have breaking bubbles. When bubbles break they produce unique acoustic signatures, the dynamic properties of which are measured by the detectors incorporated into the AFIT instrument. The outcome is quantitative, repeatable foam index values and foaming measurements.