Air trapped in concrete creates a foamy mix that feels light, insubstantial, and weak. Using a high-quality defoamer helps eliminate foam and entrapped air, improving concrete density and strength. UltraDense is formulated to destabilize foam generated during mixing, allowing air to escape rather than remain locked into the concrete matrix.

UltraDense is most effective when paired with a powerful superplasticizer such as Integrity UltraFlow, which creates the fluid conditions necessary for air bubbles to rise and escape.

HOW DEFOAMERS WORK

Defoamers do not make air magically disappear from concrete. Instead, they work by destabilizing foam that forms during mixing.

Foam is made up of many tiny air bubbles. These tiny bubbles easily cling to sand grains, fibers, and thick, stiff concrete, where they become trapped. Defoamers cause these small bubbles to merge into larger bubbles.

Larger air bubbles have a better chance of escaping the mix because they can force their way upward and out of the concrete. However, the concrete must be fluid enough to allow this movement.

THE IMPORTANCE OF FLUID CONCRETE

Defoamers cannot remove all air from concrete, and they will not remove air from stiff or paste-like mixes. Because of how defoamers work, they are most effective when the concrete is very fluid.

Thick, stiff concrete behaves like a paste rather than a fluid, and air bubbles cannot rise through it. This is why defoamers perform best when used in tandem with a powerful superplasticizer such as Integrity UltraFlow.

If you are producing GFRC and compacting the backer coat with rollers, this will not remove air bubbles. Compaction rollers align fibers but are not effective at purging air.

In commercial GFRC production, high-energy sprayers used for mist and backer coats can remove entrapped air, making defoamers unnecessary. However, this level of equipment is typically not available to most concrete countertop fabricators.

POLYMERS AND FOAM

Some GFRC polymers are well known for causing foamy concrete. Integrity PowerPack already contains the correct proportion of proprietary polymer and UltraDense, so additional defoamer is not required when using that system.

When using other polymer brands, UltraDense is strongly recommended to control foam and entrapped air.