Cellulose Ether Air Entrainment

Cellulose Ether Air Entrainment

Cellulose ether has obvious air-entraining effect on freshly mixed cement-based materials. Cellulose ethers have both hydrophilic groups (hydroxyl groups, ether groups) and hydrophobic groups (methyl groups, glucose rings). It is a surfactant with surface activity and thus has an air-entraining effect. The air entrainment of cellulose ether will produce a "ball" effect, which can improve the working performance of freshly mixed materials, such as increasing the plasticity and smoothness of mortar during operation, which is beneficial to the spread of mortar; it will also increase the output of mortar , Reduce the production cost of mortar; but will increase the porosity of the hardened material, reduce its mechanical properties such as strength and elastic modulus.

As a surfactant, cellulose ether also has a wetting or lubricating effect on cement particles, which together with its air-entraining effect increases the fluidity of cement-based materials, but its thickening effect will reduce the fluidity. The effect of fluidity is a combination of plasticizing and thickening effects. Generally speaking, when the amount of cellulose ether is very low, it mainly shows plasticization or water reduction; when the amount of cellulose ether is higher, the thickening effect of cellulose ether increases rapidly, and its air-entraining effect tends to be saturated. So it is manifested as thickening or increasing water demand.