Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Microstructure and properties of cement foams prepared by magnesium oxychloride cement

  • Cementitous Materials
  • Published:
Journal of Wuhan University of Technology-Mater. Sci. Ed. Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Microstructural features including pore size distribution, cell walls and phase compositions of magnesium oxychloride cement foams (MOCF) with various MgO powders and water mixture ratios were studied. Their influences on compressive strength, water absorption and resistance of MOCF were also discussed in detail. The experimental results indicated that moderate and slight excess MgO powders (MgO/MgCl2 molar ratios from 5.1 to 7) were beneficial to the formation of excellent microstructure of MOCF, but increasing water contents (H2O/MgO mass ratios from 0.9 to 1.29) might result in opposite conclusions. The microstructure of MOCF produced with moderate and slight excess MgO powders could enhance the compressive strength, while serious excess MgO powders addition (MgO/MgCl2 molar ratios = 9) would destroy the cell wall structures, and therefore decrease the strength of the system. Although MOCF produced with excess MgO powders could decrease the water absorption, its softening coefficient was lower than that of the material produced with moderate MgO powders. This might be due to the instability of phase 5, the volume expansion and cracking of cell walls as immersed the sample into water.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ramamurthy K, Nambiar EKK, Ranjani GIS. A Classification of Studies on Properties of Foam Concrete[J]. Cement Concrete Comp., 2009, 31: 388–396

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Akthar FK, Evans JRG. High Porosity (>90%) Cementitious Foams[J]. Cement Concrete Res., 2010, 40: 352–358

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Aguilar AS, Melo JP, Olivares FH. Microstructural Analysis of Aerated Cement Pastes with Fly Ash, Metakaolin and Sepiolite Additions[J]. Constr. Build. Mater., 2013, 47(0): 282–292

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Hung TC, Huang JS, Wang YW, et al. Microstructure and Properties of Metakaolin-based Inorganic Polymer Foams[J]. J. Mater. Sci., 2013, 48(21): 7 446–7 455

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Li Z, Chau CK. Influence of Molar Ratios on Properties of Magnesium Oxychloride Cement[J]. Cement Concrete Res., 2007, 37(6): 866–870

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Chau CK, Li Z. Accelerated Reactivity Assessment of Light Burnt Magnesium Oxide[J]. J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 2008, 91(5): 1 640–1 645

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Chau CK, Li Z. Microstructures of Magnesium Oxychloride[J]. Mater. Struct., 2008, 41(5): 853–862

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Sglavo VM, Genua F, Conci A, et al. Influence of Curing Temperature on the Evolution of Magnesium Oxychloride Cement[J]. J. Mater. Sci., 2011, 46(20): 6 726–6 733

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Chau CK, Chan J, Li Z. Influences of Fly Ash on Magnesium Oxychloride Mortar[J]. Cement Concrete Comp., 2009, 31(4): 250–254

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Li Y, Yu H, Zheng L, et al. Compressive Strength of Fly Ash Magnesium Oxychloride Cement Containing Granite Wastes[J]. Constr. Build. Mater., 2013, 38: 1–7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Zhang Z, Chen H, Yuan H, et al. Mix Proportion Design of Straw-MOC Thermal-insulation Wall Material[J]. J. Southeast U. — Nat. Sci. Ed., 2010, 40: 28–33

    Google Scholar 

  12. Nambiar EKK, Ramamurthy K. Air — void Characterisation of Foam Concrete[J]. Cement Concrete Res., 2007, 37: 221–230

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Deng DH. The Mechanism for Soluble Phosphates to Improve the Water Resistance of Magnesium Oxychloride Cement[J]. Cement Concrete Res., 2003, 33(9): 1 311–1 317

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Wee TH, Daneti SB, Tamilselvan T. Effect of W/C Ratio on Airvoid System of Foamed Concrete and Their Influence on Mechanical Properties[J]. Mag. Concrete Res., 2011, 63(8): 583–595

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Neithalath N, Sumanasooriya MS, Deo O. Characterizing Pore Volume, Sizes, and Connectivity in Pervious Concretes for Permeability Prediction[J]. Mater. Charact., 2010, 61(8): 802–813

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Huang JS, Liu KD. Mechanical Properties of Cement Foams in Shear [J]. J. Mater. Sci., 2001, 36(3): 771–777

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Ba H, Guan H. Influence of MgO/MgCl2 Molar Ratio on Phase Stability of Magnesium Oxychloride Cement[J]. J. Wuhan Univ. Technol.-Mater. Sci. Ed., 2009, 24(3): 476–481

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Hnatahan H, Carlos JC, Chae S, et al. The Morphology of Entrained Air-voids in Hardened Cement Paste Generated with Different Anionic Surfactants[J]. Cement Concrete Comp., 2008, 30(7): 566–575

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Cannesson E, Manier S, Nicholson JW. Water Loss From Magnesia-Based Cements[J]. Ceram.-Silikaty, 2010, 54(4): 341–344

    Google Scholar 

  20. Plekhanova TA, Keriene J, Gailius A, et al. Structural, Physical and Mechanical Properties of Modified Wood-magnesia Composite[J]. Constr. Build. Mater., 2007, 21(9): 1 833–1 838

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Silicate Materials for Architectures, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, China

    Fazhou Wang  (王发洲), Lu Yang & Shuguang Hu

  2. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, China

    Lu Yang & Lingyue Guan

Authors
  1. Fazhou Wang  (王发洲)
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lu Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Lingyue Guan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Shuguang Hu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fazhou Wang  (王发洲).

Additional information

Funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.51478370) and the EPSRC-NSFC Joint Research Project (No.51461135005)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wang, F., Yang, L., Guan, L. et al. Microstructure and properties of cement foams prepared by magnesium oxychloride cement. J. Wuhan Univ. Technol.-Mat. Sci. Edit. 30, 331–337 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11595-015-1149-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11595-015-1149-y

Key words

Search

Navigation