Influence of hydroxyethyl cellulose on the stability of foamed concrete

As a lightweight material, foamed concrete has been widely used in construction because of its excellent lightweight properties, heat preservation and sound absorption. However, due to its low strength, its further application is limited. Hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) was employed in this study to modify the sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) based foaming agent to enhance the stability and performance of foamed concrete. The effects of HEC content on foam stability, bleeding, fluidity, strength, water absorption and internal pore structure were systematically investigated. The results indicate that as the HEC content increases, the foam stability improves, while the fluidity and water absorption of the foamed concrete slurry decrease. Compared with the control group (without HEC), the content of 0.15% HEC increased the 28-day compressive strength by 33.66%, reaching 2.75 MPa. Furthermore, HEC optimized the pore structure, significantly reducing the average pore diameter. When the HEC content reached 2%, the proportion of small pores was approximately 99%. These findings suggest that HEC effectively improves the overall performance of foamed concrete, offering a theoretical foundation for its broader application in engineering.