I drive tanker trucks, and have hauled 6500 gallon loads of Sodium Laureth Sulphate. On the shipping bills, it is called Texapon. And no matter what you do to try to remove every last bit of it from the tank while unloading, some of the product inevitably remains in the tank. Usually no less than 100 gallons of the stuff. Once I get to our tank wash facility, I'm able to get some of that remaining product from the tank washer crew. Before I even saw this video, I watched several of your other vids, and had already told myself to try some straight SLS. Thanks for answering the question of whether or not it works well or not so well!
A 40 lb bag of the Sodium Sulfate comes out to about $0.13 per 5 gallon bucket, so depending on volume it would certainly be the most cost effective. I think overall it's hard to beat the pricing on the Sodium Sulfate. One bag making 8 buckets is more per bucket than the jug, but if you only need 8 buckets you'll spend less on the powder. If you need more the 5 lb bag is 35 cents a bucket, and it just gets cheaper from there.
Sodium lauryl sulfoacetate (SLSA) is not the same as the sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) you pointed out on the Suave container. They have similar names and chemistry, but are still quite different chemically. You'll find the SDS is generally a cheaper product.
Have you ever tried adding Glycerine to the foaming agents or soaps in any of your tests? If I remember correctly, it should add strength to the walls of the bubbles making them last much longer than usual. Of course that would end up making everything more expensive, but its an interesting experiment.
I've seen a lot of discussion about bubble collapse, but that's just the foam before it is mixed with the portland cement. The foam is composed of very little water and foaming agent, very little actual mass. However the portland cement and water mixture is quite a bit more massive. It essentially displaces the foam film around the air bubbles, or at least completely swamps it. So I wonder if testing bubble collapse on foams not yet mixed with the portland cement is meaningful. The cement/water mix may simply overwhelm any contribution of the foaming agent as far as bubble life is concerned.
One of the problems it's the foam continues to separate after it's mixed with the cement. Imagine a low density muffin top that collapses when you stand on it.
I would like to point out that the Dawn dish detergent is different from the 7th generation dish detergent just because the 7th generation contains glycerin which causes the bubbles not to break down so quickly.
NOTE 2: sodium sulfate anhydrous is used as filler in home laundry detergents, as a fining agent to remove small air bubbles, to defrost windows, and in the Kraft paper process of paper pulping. basically it would seem like it removes bubbles not add.
I am an penny pincher, so this video is perfect. I'm currently gathering materials to start making aircrete - and if drexel is both the best and the cheapest foaming agent, then it seems like a no brainer. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the subject!
The 7th Generation website has a safety data sheet listing ingredients. 1st was water, then sodium lauryl sulfate 10 -30% as cleaning agent; third down is glycerin listed a foam stabilizer 1 - 3% . food for testing thoughts!
Welcome to the channel Sohel 👍 If you are using soap, add a teaspoon of backing soda to 5 gallons of water & make sure to use soft water in your foam solution & cement. I also use & recommend using: aircreteharry.com/product/1-gallon-aircrete-thickener-two-x-1-quart-air-entrainment-liquid-by-aircrete-harry-allows-you-to-pour-aircrete-much-higher-improves-strength-see-description/
First off, the shampoos are usually designed to foam; but the dish washing liquids, not so much. You might want to test the Suave after you've added a small amount of the anhydrous sodium sulfate. It would be a more foam-dedicated mix, and might match the Drexel, without its toxicity.
A buddy who did a 12 day dome build workshop (July, Oregon) got me going more on aircrete studying, telling me specifics about aircrete making. He said 7th generation was being used because it contains glycerin for making the foam last/ though domegaia forum often say Drexel is better. What stikes me as a third option for a In Front of our eyes Foam Test: Is get some glycerin (saw many options on Amazon) and add it to SLSA sodium lauryl solfoacetate as third foam vs Drexel vs SLSA sodium lauryl solfoacetate by itself. Maybe looking at wat % amount of glycerin is in 7th Generation Dish Soap may offer best clue on how much to add to SLSA. ... Food for Though, and exploring with you on bringing cost down for a Dome Home Building!
Shampoo/dish soap/shaving cream all us Sodium Lauryl Sulfate as the surfactant (to create the bubbles). Shaving cream uses Stearic Acid to stabilize those nice small, long lasting bubbles (it is also a surfactant). Both can be found online for about $3/pound. People buy this stuff for making their own soap and the like. Glycerin can help stabilize bubbles and is inexpensive too. Here is a formulation for shaving cream containing 5% SLS, 2% SA, and 2% glycerin (weight/volume - as in grams per 100ml final product). If you look at shaving cream ingredients (Gillette, Barbasol) you will note that SA is the main ingredient (unlike the sample formulation link)... www.hallstarbeauty.com/formula/creamy-shaving-foam/
Thanks for the vid. Finally someone does it right. It's the sulfates that they place in shampoos and soaps that make efficient suds. That's why some products don't work
Request: If you might have time: Please consider doing a Drexel vs SLSA sodium lauryl solfoacetate Foam Video/Foam in front of our eyes and how long it lasts. I love to see a video on that. ... bet the effectsof such may make that $40 per 40lbs price go up a bit.
Some company did not need an air compressor or a large egg beater. You need to learn about its behavior. You do a normal concrete mixing with the agent and put in the form. When in form a chemicl reaction causes it to rise like dough. It rises more than double in volume. That makes it hard to put the right amount in the form.
That is probably because they add aluminum powder. It reacts with the alkali in the cement to produce hydrogen. Because of stability issues the AEC is usually autoclaved to prevent degradation. It produces a stronger product than foaming agents.
ORVUS WA Paste is sodium lauryl sulfate and is a gentle safe non-toxic detergent/soap that has been used for generations both for washing horses, dogs, and delicate fabrics. Because it is an anonic detergent, it can be also used for washing woolens. It is relatively inexpensive and easily found.
I put some Elmer's school glue in with my my detergent and it seemed to hold up it didn't collapse like the other one and I just now started so I don't know the full result
Re: Your Looking at the Economics of Various Soaps for Aircrete for when one pursue a big projects like a Dome Home. Your use of SLSA sodium lauryl solfoacetate caught my attention for possible other economical DIY Aircrete Soap Options: I found bulk: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate SLS (not exact same as likely better Solfoacetate SLSA) but the main ingredient in 7th Generation Dish Soap) found 32 lbs for $49 at bulkapothecary.com Total w shipping to Calif. and tax for $84.75 = $2.65 lb If 1 lb of it made eight 5 gallon buckets (like your sodium lauryl solfoacetate SLAS did) x 32 lbs = 256 5 gal buckets = $ 0.34 per 5 gallon bucket or even if it only made half that amount = $0.68 per 5 gal bucket of soap and adding easily available glycerine could stabilize the foam. Pitching ya thoughts on possible further testing I may eventual do myself. You pointing out Drexel makes best foam and is most economical as 4 oz per 5 gallons = $.86 per 5 gal bucket (not counting shipping) But best deal I have found is) ... $145 for 4 w shipping to Calif. from Stone Brothers / $36.25 each makes for $1.13 per 5 gallon bucket of soap. Wondering If a good to great DIY soap recipe might come in someday for below $0.70 per 5 gal bucket?
5L of Palmolive is $4 Canadian. I'm bringing it up because it's main surfactant is triclosan instead of the sodium lauryl sulphate. It has a reputation for being "stubborn" in terms of its stability and clingyness (scientific term I swear...) to surfaces. Once the back yard isn't buried in 2ft of snow I'm hoping to test it out. The local Costco has all kinds of stuff to try out. Here's hoping one works.
Have you tried the VariMax HS:320 Liquid Foam Concentrate. I've heard some people claim they think it is as big of an improvement over Drexel as Drexel is over dish soap... that's a huge improvement... Just wondering if you'd heard of it.
I haven't heard of it. I am a big enthusiast of Drexel & the 2 additives I've used, recommended & established the quality of for Aircrete. aircreteharry.com/product/1-gallon-aircrete-thickener-two-x-1-quart-air-entrainment-liquid-by-aircrete-harry-allows-you-to-pour-aircrete-much-higher-improves-strength-see-description/
Are you using the sodium laurel sulfoacetate just by itself? or mixing it with soap because it is just a surfactant foaming agent and not a soap by it’s self. Thanks
For this test - only the sodium lauryl sulfoacetate was used to compare it to itself. After years of testing I recommend using Drexel. For great results: aircreteharry.com/product/1-gallon-aircrete-thickener-two-x-1-quart-air-entrainment-liquid-by-aircrete-harry-allows-you-to-pour-aircrete-much-higher-improves-strength-see-description/
Thank You Harry. I'm setting up for some aircrete projects and you info from various clips is part of my aircrete recipe info. collection. I can see leaning by doing it myself and experimenting is in my future! Thanks
Awesome and great info video! I wonder how bad the off gassing from the Drexel is? Thks for making a great point of food grade vs the Drexel. Great tip for using food grade for plant growing vs the Drexel!
So how did the sodium sulfate powder work out? Also they now sell in 40 pound packs now with free shipping on amazon which equals about 15 cents per 5 gallon bucket.
Yes but if you're using an SLA product well the powder you need to also get the liquid because it doesn't really dissolve in water very well but it will dissolve in the liquid form and it will make tons of sides because it's a phone booster that's what it is that's what they put in shampoos to make it look more sudsy because people think the more the sides the communities are so that's why they put that in there so if you use those two things together I'm sure that you would get great results
Re: Your info on SLSA sodium lauryl solfoacetate 1 lb which is main ingredient in Suave shampoo. $8.21 for lb & 20 tablespoons per /5 gallons to make foam, almost equal to Drexel ... (food grade too) 1 lb makes 8 ... 5 lb buckets of soap = $1.02/ per 5 gallons I just noticed the same supplier on Amazon has a 40 lbs bucket w free shipping for $40. Using your calculation for 1 lb version) could likely make 320 ... 5 gal buckets of soap ... and is very likely most ecomical deal at $ 0.13 per 5 gal bucket of soap. ... if my math mind is still firing properly here on my 68 th sun orbit. Definitely something I will test myself in 1 lb version first.
Is drexel toxic? Or is it bad for the concrete? I did research on the sodium lauryl sulfate and its a carbon/ oxygen/ hydrogen/ sodium element and would seem good for concrete... Whats drexels chemical make up?
Hey man thanks for the great vid. Just started looking on how to do my own aircrete and found your channel. Thanks for taking the time to do the comparisons. On another note have you ever considered using a canned foam such as HandiFoam? It's made of polypropylene I think. Not sure how it would do.
Thank you for the wonderful video and I hope you will help me in how to make light white bricks and the materials and special mixture for it. Of course, the work will be manual, i.e. a small project. If the experiment is successful, I will try, God willing, to expand it. I would be honored to have you as my partner in this matter. With thanks, appreciation and respect, I am Saad Shaheen from Lebanon.
Hey Friend...just gettin started with aircrete...Thank you for all you have done...Saved me time and $$$. I haven't had the chance to view all your vids but am hoping you can answer. Question - Would a cement mixer work? Sound silly I know...Am concerned about the "over mixing" ... any chance that a mixer would over mix and break down the foam? regardless of type? Thanks!
FYI: Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate (SLSA), and Sodium Lauraleth Sulfate (SLES, main ingredient in Suave clarifying) aren't the same chemically. Can you tell me which of these three you actually tested and the results? We can't get the FM-160 in Canada, so I've been looking for a cost effective alternative with similar quality to FM-160, but haven't found anything yet. Any suggestions?
OPPS! made a mistake confusing Natural Sodium Sulfate Food Grade FCC 99+% Granular Anhydrous Crystals Salt deal on amazon w your mention of SLSA sodium lauryl solfoacetate results. still think adding glycerin in tests is good idea.
I'm interested in using the 2:1 sand cement ratio. Is there a video that shows the new or different mix ratio this causes to previous cement water foam ratios shown. In other words what is the mix ratios when adding sand? Thank you
I suggest that you research surfactants they're all different kinds there are some that go together that some that don't go together this it's pretty complicated is all different ones but if you learn them I'm sure you could make a better solution than then that's you can buy anywhere so just research vacant cuz that's what it's affecting is anything that makes foam or bubbles has a surfactant in it unless it's a street so but even then it's not going to produce much bubbles
Has anyone tried to make a shaving cream type foaming solution? Shaving cream is 2-5% Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and 2-5% Stearic Acid (w/v). Both are readily available online for about $3 a pound (people buy for soap making). Using 190gm of each per gallon will make a soln costing $2.50 per gallon to make a shaving cream type foaming solution. If soln is too rich for your foaming machine (shaving cream foam is very dense) you could cut it with water to double to quadruple the volume. Gillette and Barbasol shaving creams do not contain glycerin, BTW. Both use more SA than SLS.
so the dawn 24 oz bottle make 100 gallons of foam? i only need to make 1 gallon of aircrete for a tiny project... how much foam is needed any instructions available? i really don't need a bubble machine do i?? thanks
At 4:40 Aircrete Harry starts talking about a $8 bag of Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous from Amazon, but that is not what he has on the table. Sodium Sulfate is not a foaming agent. I think Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate (SLSA), or Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) would work, but not Sodium Sulfate. Bulk Apothecary has 32lb (256 batches) of SLES which for my shipping and taxes it comes to $0.40 per batch at today's prices. Drexel is currently $1.44 per batch if I buy the four gallon pack from Amazon (128 batches). Harry said in the video (5:07) that the SLSA made "very good density foam and fairly long lasting". At the current prices, I think I will try the SLES. I could add double what Harry says in the video, and it would still be cheaper than the Drexel.
@@AircreteHarry cheapest I found in canada is 66usd but not sure about import fees and shipping. hmmm so that would be 2 USD per 5 gallon bucket. edit: if anyone read this it was a scam website.
@@AircreteHarry sh*t nevermind that canadian link is an indian scam website. amazon canada also sells it for 95USD here if one includes import fees and shipping.
wisconsin hello to harry . great test .... Question; how many yards of aircrete would the 1 gallon of drexal complete ? it would be used for the walls on a modest 800sqf home . if you recall im looking to build in a rural area in the philippines . thank you ..............
Charles you can make about 4000 gallons of aircrete with one bottle of Drexel. If you built four 30 foot long 10 foot high 6 inch thick walls it would require 4888 gallons of aircrete.
Hi i want to make a natural cave with dome shape and made with air-crete bricks to "cure" cheese, that means the cheese has to stay there several months, so would you use drexel as a foaming agent considering its risks? thanks
If I were you, I would seal the inside with a paint on resin...that way, no bacterial items would be hiding in the 'pores' of the blocks., it would be easy to clean & keep a more constant humidity.
Hey Harry, we tried the Sodium Lauryl Sulfate you had on this video and got no foam at all...? The recipe didn't work out. There isn't 20TBSP in the 1lb bag. We ended up trying the whole bag and still got no foam. Can you clarify for me? I would use the Drexel, my only concern about that is all the warning and the fact that they don't say what is in it. I have chemical sensitivities so was concerned about that... Do you know what is in the Drexel? Thank you so much!
This is what you should be looking for: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_laureth_sulfate Aka SLES, not SLS Here's a link where you can buy it: www.essentialwholesale.com/product/1368/sodium-laureth-sulfate-sles
Harry, Im back reviewing because I'm finally actually making a 50 gallon batch of aircrete for an insulation project. Toward the end you talk about the potential health hazards of Drexel 160. The normal use for this product is food farmers mark their fields when seeding, spraying or other ground work where it isn't clear where the last's edge is. Yup, it's used in food production. That doesn't make it safe but it does indicate it is probably at least toward inert or benign.
The name of the leagues is coco betaine us the name of the suffocating in liquid form. The SLA there's a bunch of different kinds slaa SLA but they don't deserve well in water so cocoa butane is a liquid it's not very expensive and you dissolve it in that but the best part about it is it's also or surfactant a surfactant is what how Bubbles are made so it's two different surfactants that work together to produce obviously more bubbles
NOTE- Harry goes on about Sodium Sulfate and shows price from Amazon - and he also says lower in the comments in response to flick22601 that he bought 50lbs. It doesn't work.
I had the same experience. I bought a 1lb bag of the Sulfate just like he had and go no foam at all. I ended up putting in the whole bag and still no foam. Im so confused. Did you find something that worked for you?
The item he shows on the print out is not the item he has on the table. You need Sodium Lauryl Sulfate but the print out shows Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous. This also explains why one cost $6 and the other was like $20.
There are some differences among Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS), Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLES), and Sodium Lauryl SulfoAcetate (SLSa) ingredients. Please read www.simply-eden.com/blogs/additives/5902193-sls-vs-slsa-they-look-the-same-but-are-they
How does hard water affect foaming ability of F.M.-160™? Under hard water conditions, it may be necessary to use 1 gallon of F.M.-160™ per 80 gallons of water.... Per the Drexel web site: www.drexchem.com/products/f-m-160/. If you've ever wash you hair in soft water... you know what the difference is compared to hard water as you'll only need 1/4 the shampoo to get twice the suds in softener treated water.
I drive tanker trucks, and have hauled 6500 gallon loads of Sodium Laureth Sulphate. On the shipping bills, it is called Texapon. And no matter what you do to try to remove every last bit of it from the tank while unloading, some of the product inevitably remains in the tank. Usually no less than 100 gallons of the stuff. Once I get to our tank wash facility, I'm able to get some of that remaining product from the tank washer crew.
Before I even saw this video, I watched several of your other vids, and had already told myself to try some straight SLS. Thanks for answering the question of whether or not it works well or not so well!
A 40 lb bag of the Sodium Sulfate comes out to about $0.13 per 5 gallon bucket, so depending on volume it would certainly be the most cost effective. I think overall it's hard to beat the pricing on the Sodium Sulfate. One bag making 8 buckets is more per bucket than the jug, but if you only need 8 buckets you'll spend less on the powder. If you need more the 5 lb bag is 35 cents a bucket, and it just gets cheaper from there.
Great info and channel!
Welcome to the channel 👍
Thank you very much, happy to read your great comment!
Happy Thanksgiving 🍁 🍂
Sodium lauryl sulfoacetate (SLSA) is not the same as the sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) you pointed out on the Suave container. They have similar names and chemistry, but are still quite different chemically. You'll find the SDS is generally a cheaper product.
will sls work well? can't find slsa in shampoos.
He is generally clueless, if any works match he picks it.
Have you ever tried adding Glycerine to the foaming agents or soaps in any of your tests? If I remember correctly, it should add strength to the walls of the bubbles making them last much longer than usual. Of course that would end up making everything more expensive, but its an interesting experiment.
I've seen a lot of discussion about bubble collapse, but that's just the foam before it is mixed with the portland cement. The foam is composed of very little water and foaming agent, very little actual mass. However the portland cement and water mixture is quite a bit more massive. It essentially displaces the foam film around the air bubbles, or at least completely swamps it. So I wonder if testing bubble collapse on foams not yet mixed with the portland cement is meaningful. The cement/water mix may simply overwhelm any contribution of the foaming agent as far as bubble life is concerned.
One of the problems it's the foam continues to separate after it's mixed with the cement.
Imagine a low density muffin top that collapses when you stand on it.
I would like to point out that the Dawn dish detergent is different from the 7th generation dish detergent just because the 7th generation contains glycerin which causes the bubbles not to break down so quickly.
can one just use glycerin alone?
SLSA is derived from coconut and palm oils. Used in bath bombs and bubble bath. Can be an irritant if inhaled.
Good breakdown, Harry!!
NOTE 2: sodium sulfate anhydrous is used as filler in home laundry detergents, as a fining agent to remove small air bubbles, to defrost windows, and in the Kraft paper process of paper pulping. basically it would seem like it removes bubbles not add.
There are a few:
sodium sulfate,
- Molar mass: 142.04 g/mol
- Boiling point: 2,604°F (1,429°C)
sodium dodecyl sulfate or sodium lauryl aka sulfate sodium laurilsulfate.
- Density: 1.01 g/cm³
- Melting point: 402.8°F (206°C)
Very detailed information! Thank you very much!
I am an penny pincher, so this video is perfect. I'm currently gathering materials to start making aircrete - and if drexel is both the best and the cheapest foaming agent, then it seems like a no brainer. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the subject!
You are very Welcome Dustin!
How have your projects been?
The 7th Generation website has a safety data sheet listing ingredients. 1st was water, then sodium lauryl sulfate 10 -30% as cleaning agent; third down is glycerin listed a foam stabilizer 1 - 3% . food for testing thoughts!
thank you for this good info
You're a pioneer Harry, thanks to guys like you that share both the good and the bad .
Thank You very much! Indeed, that's how we learn, apply, share and avoid mistakes! 👍 👍
Hi Harry, any idea to increase the stability of the foam?
Welcome
to the channel Sohel 👍
If you are using soap, add a teaspoon of backing soda to 5 gallons of water & make sure to use soft water in your foam solution & cement.
I also use & recommend using:
aircreteharry.com/product/1-gallon-aircrete-thickener-two-x-1-quart-air-entrainment-liquid-by-aircrete-harry-allows-you-to-pour-aircrete-much-higher-improves-strength-see-description/
Excellent info! 👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Thanks for the info Harry, I'm glad you take the time do do all that stuff and share your results.
Here here! I couldn't agree more!
@@tomkelly8827 Thank You very much, I Appreciate You!!
Thank You very much, - such Great Feedback 👍👍 I Appreciate You! My Pleasure
First off, the shampoos are usually designed to foam; but the dish washing liquids, not so much. You might want to test the Suave after you've added a small amount of the anhydrous sodium sulfate. It would be a more foam-dedicated mix, and might match the Drexel, without its toxicity.
I was thinking the same thing and flick22601 just told me where to get 50 lb of it.
Have you tried this mix as yet? Just found your channel today so will be bingeing.
Someone else also mentioned using glycerin to maintain the foam and that is also available in bulk.
A buddy who did a 12 day dome build workshop (July, Oregon) got me going more on aircrete studying, telling me specifics about aircrete making. He said 7th generation was being used because it contains glycerin for making the foam last/ though domegaia forum often say Drexel is better. What stikes me as a third option for a In Front of our eyes Foam Test: Is get some glycerin (saw many options on Amazon) and add it to SLSA sodium lauryl solfoacetate as third foam vs Drexel vs SLSA sodium lauryl solfoacetate by itself. Maybe looking at wat % amount of glycerin is in 7th Generation Dish Soap may offer best clue on how much to add to SLSA. ... Food for Though, and exploring with you on bringing cost down for a Dome Home Building!
Shampoo/dish soap/shaving cream all us Sodium Lauryl Sulfate as the surfactant (to create the bubbles). Shaving cream uses Stearic Acid to stabilize those nice small, long lasting bubbles (it is also a surfactant). Both can be found online for about $3/pound. People buy this stuff for making their own soap and the like. Glycerin can help stabilize bubbles and is inexpensive too. Here is a formulation for shaving cream containing 5% SLS, 2% SA, and 2% glycerin (weight/volume - as in grams per 100ml final product). If you look at shaving cream ingredients (Gillette, Barbasol) you will note that SA is the main ingredient (unlike the sample formulation link)... www.hallstarbeauty.com/formula/creamy-shaving-foam/
Thanks for the vid. Finally someone does it right.
It's the sulfates that they place in shampoos and soaps that make efficient suds. That's why some products don't work
Thanks!!! SLSA sodium lauryl sulfo acetate
You are amazing my friend
Thanx Harry love your practical super helpful body of videos. Just a bit north of ya in Colorado.
Thank you for all your hard work. It gives everyone the information they need to start working with.
You are very Welcome! Thank You for Your Great Feedback, I Appreciate You!!
Request: If you might have time: Please consider doing a Drexel vs SLSA sodium lauryl solfoacetate Foam Video/Foam in front of our eyes and how long it lasts. I love to see a video on that. ... bet the effectsof such may make that $40 per 40lbs price go up a bit.
Wishing you the Best Harry!! Thank you for all your videos!!
Some company did not need an air compressor or a large egg beater. You need to learn about its behavior. You do a normal concrete mixing with the agent and put in the form. When in form a chemicl reaction causes it to rise like dough. It rises more than double in volume. That makes it hard to put the right amount in the form.
That is probably because they add aluminum powder. It reacts with the alkali in the cement to produce hydrogen. Because of stability issues the AEC is usually autoclaved to prevent degradation. It produces a stronger product than foaming agents.
ORVUS WA Paste is sodium lauryl sulfate and is a gentle safe non-toxic detergent/soap that has been used for generations both for washing horses, dogs, and delicate fabrics. Because it is an anonic detergent, it can be also used for washing woolens. It is relatively inexpensive and easily found.
I put some Elmer's school glue in with my my detergent and it seemed to hold up it didn't collapse like the other one and I just now started so I don't know the full result
Have you done any further testing with the glue? What are the amounts you use?
Re: Your Looking at the Economics of Various Soaps for Aircrete
for when one pursue a big projects like a Dome Home.
Your use of SLSA sodium lauryl solfoacetate caught my attention
for possible other economical DIY Aircrete Soap Options:
I found bulk: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate SLS
(not exact same as likely better Solfoacetate SLSA)
but the main ingredient in 7th Generation Dish Soap)
found 32 lbs for $49 at bulkapothecary.com
Total w shipping to Calif. and tax for $84.75 = $2.65 lb
If 1 lb of it made eight 5 gallon buckets
(like your sodium lauryl solfoacetate SLAS did)
x 32 lbs = 256 5 gal buckets = $ 0.34 per 5 gallon bucket
or even if it only made half that amount = $0.68 per 5 gal bucket of soap
and adding easily available glycerine could stabilize the foam.
Pitching ya thoughts on possible further testing I may eventual do myself.
You pointing out Drexel makes best foam and is most economical
as 4 oz per 5 gallons = $.86 per 5 gal bucket (not counting shipping)
But best deal I have found is) ... $145 for 4 w shipping to
Calif. from Stone Brothers / $36.25 each makes for $1.13 per 5 gallon bucket of soap.
Wondering If a good to great DIY soap recipe might come in someday for below $0.70 per 5 gal bucket?
Just a NOTE: 20 tablespoons of powdered sugar would = 0.34 lb one would be done after 3 5 gallon buckets!
I use Drexel. If that works best for you or anyone else though, by all means, go at it 👍
Update your results.
Thanks for sharing your test results. I have made note of your research and looking where to buy in the Philippines.
Great video, keep up the Great work! Appreciate you breaking down the info.
5L of Palmolive is $4 Canadian.
I'm bringing it up because it's main surfactant is triclosan instead of the sodium lauryl sulphate. It has a reputation for being "stubborn" in terms of its stability and clingyness (scientific term I swear...) to surfaces. Once the back yard isn't buried in 2ft of snow I'm hoping to test it out. The local Costco has all kinds of stuff to try out. Here's hoping one works.
5L is about 1.3 gallons.
Have you tried the VariMax HS:320 Liquid Foam Concentrate. I've heard some people claim they think it is as big of an improvement over Drexel as Drexel is over dish soap... that's a huge improvement...
Just wondering if you'd heard of it.
I haven't heard of it. I am a big enthusiast of Drexel & the 2 additives I've used, recommended & established the quality of for Aircrete.
aircreteharry.com/product/1-gallon-aircrete-thickener-two-x-1-quart-air-entrainment-liquid-by-aircrete-harry-allows-you-to-pour-aircrete-much-higher-improves-strength-see-description/
Are you using the sodium laurel sulfoacetate just by itself? or mixing it with soap because it is just a surfactant foaming agent and not a soap by it’s self. Thanks
For this test - only the sodium lauryl sulfoacetate was used to compare it to itself. After years of testing I recommend using Drexel.
For great results: aircreteharry.com/product/1-gallon-aircrete-thickener-two-x-1-quart-air-entrainment-liquid-by-aircrete-harry-allows-you-to-pour-aircrete-much-higher-improves-strength-see-description/
thanks for the info, actually it helps to know how much a block of aircrete gonna cost
You are very Welcome 👍
Happy to spread the Knowledge!
Experiments + Results
Thank You Harry. I'm setting up for some aircrete projects and you info from various clips is part of my aircrete recipe info. collection. I can see leaning by doing it myself and experimenting is in my future! Thanks
Harry I think AFFF is the best liquid to make foam for CLC. This chemical is protein based water soluble but not detergent.
can i contact u
Have you ever tried Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap to see how its foam holds up? Seems to lather good in the shower at least. Better than Dawn
Hi Harry. I have been trying to find where i could buy the foam generator you are using. Can you help? Thank you
Hello again Sherly! Glad we connected. Your unit will be on the way soon!
Great video,Brother. Ignore all the Fools commenting about your hair and music.
Thank you for sharing your experience.
Awesome and great info video!
I wonder how bad the off gassing from the Drexel is? Thks for making a great point of food grade vs the Drexel. Great tip for using food grade for plant growing vs the Drexel!
So how did the sodium sulfate powder work out? Also they now sell in 40 pound packs now with free shipping on amazon which equals about 15 cents per 5 gallon bucket.
everspring laundry detergent free and clear liquid, 100 oz 10.99 target. same two ingredients as dawn/7th gen.
Yes but if you're using an SLA product well the powder you need to also get the liquid because it doesn't really dissolve in water very well but it will dissolve in the liquid form and it will make tons of sides because it's a phone booster that's what it is that's what they put in shampoos to make it look more sudsy because people think the more the sides the communities are so that's why they put that in there so if you use those two things together I'm sure that you would get great results
cool bro thanks
Good job ! Thank you (from Africa)
Re: Your info on SLSA sodium lauryl solfoacetate 1 lb
which is main ingredient in Suave shampoo.
$8.21 for lb & 20 tablespoons per /5 gallons to make foam,
almost equal to Drexel ... (food grade too)
1 lb makes 8 ... 5 lb buckets of soap = $1.02/ per 5 gallons
I just noticed the same supplier on Amazon has a 40 lbs bucket w free shipping
for $40. Using your calculation for 1 lb version) could likely make 320 ... 5 gal buckets
of soap ... and is very likely most ecomical deal at $ 0.13 per 5 gal bucket of soap.
... if my math mind is still firing properly here on my 68 th sun orbit.
Definitely something I will test myself in 1 lb version first.
Excellent, very informative. Thanks
hi do u have any video of trying with SLSA powder please if u have share the link ?????
Buen video ,excelente explicación ,un brazo desde puerto rico!!
Hi Mr Harry your video is quite informative. Your efforts are appreciated. would you please help me in material required for 12*18*8 block.?thanks
Hi Harry , thanks for all the info it will help me for sure
Is drexel toxic? Or is it bad for the concrete? I did research on the sodium lauryl sulfate and its a carbon/ oxygen/ hydrogen/ sodium element and would seem good for concrete... Whats drexels chemical make up?
Hey man thanks for the great vid. Just started looking on how to do my own aircrete and found your channel. Thanks for taking the time to do the comparisons. On another note have you ever considered using a canned foam such as HandiFoam? It's made of polypropylene I think. Not sure how it would do.
Have you tried pricing the Drexel or other products in larger containers like 5 gal or 50 gal drums, should be much cheaper.
Great info! Thanks!!
Thank you for the wonderful video and I hope you will help me in how to make light white bricks and the materials and special mixture for it. Of course, the work will be manual, i.e. a small project. If the experiment is successful, I will try, God willing, to expand it. I would be honored to have you as my partner in this matter. With thanks, appreciation and respect, I am Saad Shaheen from Lebanon.
How do you mix the foam with the cement?
Is there a thickening agent to get aircrete the consistency of troweled cement?
You din.t mention the pump where to get it or how to make one.
Hey Friend...just gettin started with aircrete...Thank you for all you have done...Saved me time and $$$. I haven't had the chance to view all your vids but am hoping you can answer. Question - Would a cement mixer work? Sound silly I know...Am concerned about the "over mixing" ... any chance that a mixer would over mix and break down the foam? regardless of type? Thanks!
I've been mixing with hand drill and can tell you the more it's mixed the more the foam flattens as those air pockets get agitated and escapes.
@@BobsYurUncle Thank you!
FYI: Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate (SLSA), and Sodium Lauraleth Sulfate (SLES, main ingredient in Suave clarifying) aren't the same chemically. Can you tell me which of these three you actually tested and the results? We can't get the FM-160 in Canada, so I've been looking for a cost effective alternative with similar quality to FM-160, but haven't found anything yet. Any suggestions?
have you tried richways cmx cellular foam
Yes, I have. I prefer & recommend Drexel.
OPPS! made a mistake confusing Natural Sodium Sulfate Food Grade FCC 99+% Granular Anhydrous Crystals Salt deal on amazon w your mention of SLSA sodium lauryl solfoacetate results. still think adding glycerin in tests is good idea.
I'm interested in using the 2:1 sand cement ratio.
Is there a video that shows the new or different mix ratio this causes to previous cement water foam ratios shown.
In other words what is the mix ratios when adding sand?
Thank you
The word got out, just looked up drexel 160 on amazon and it is now 48.99. Makes suave look better.
I suggest that you research surfactants they're all different kinds there are some that go together that some that don't go together this it's pretty complicated is all different ones but if you learn them I'm sure you could make a better solution than then that's you can buy anywhere so just research vacant cuz that's what it's affecting is anything that makes foam or bubbles has a surfactant in it unless it's a street so but even then it's not going to produce much bubbles
is there aircrete to revoke walls?
Great video, thank you sir!
Has anyone tried to make a shaving cream type foaming solution? Shaving cream is 2-5% Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and 2-5% Stearic Acid (w/v). Both are readily available online for about $3 a pound (people buy for soap making). Using 190gm of each per gallon will make a soln costing $2.50 per gallon to make a shaving cream type foaming solution. If soln is too rich for your foaming machine (shaving cream foam is very dense) you could cut it with water to double to quadruple the volume. Gillette and Barbasol shaving creams do not contain glycerin, BTW. Both use more SA than SLS.
Makes me wonder how well AFFF (aqueous film forming foam) would work.. highly concentrated, unfriendly to skin, but engineered to foam.
Hey amigo would you give a formulation of the mix water and soap? i want to try to make a fountain for bird. ah by de way great vidio!
$27 ??? prices were low 4 years ago, i just checked it today and it is $80, for $27 you will probably get Suave shampoo.
Welcome to the channel 👍
For Drexel - check out:
stonebrothers.com/product-category/aircrete/
Yes, prices are insane.
You already know what's up.
Suave shampoo can be found at Dollar Tree. Nice explanation.
so the dawn 24 oz bottle make 100 gallons of foam? i only need to make 1 gallon of aircrete for a tiny project... how much foam is needed any instructions available? i really don't need a bubble machine do i?? thanks
you do if you have a blender...or a hand mixer.
ASTM C796/C796M-19
Standard Test Method for Foaming Agents for Use in Producing Cellular Concrete Using Preformed Foam
At 4:40 Aircrete Harry starts talking about a $8 bag of Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous from Amazon, but that is not what he has on the table. Sodium Sulfate is not a foaming agent. I think Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate (SLSA), or Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) would work, but not Sodium Sulfate. Bulk Apothecary has 32lb (256 batches) of SLES which for my shipping and taxes it comes to $0.40 per batch at today's prices. Drexel is currently $1.44 per batch if I buy the four gallon pack from Amazon (128 batches). Harry said in the video (5:07) that the SLSA made "very good density foam and fairly long lasting". At the current prices, I think I will try the SLES. I could add double what Harry says in the video, and it would still be cheaper than the Drexel.
so what results did you get?
man literally all (or half) shampoos has SLS turns out this might work out!
SLES 's actual name is Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulphate I believe. Oh wait no they are the same.
I try SLES from Apothecary, no good result.
do you still recommend sauve for making foam?
here in Australia is like $100 a gallon
That's A Lot.
What is your email, will send you some information.
@@AircreteHarry cheapest I found in canada is 66usd but not sure about import fees and shipping. hmmm so that would be 2 USD per 5 gallon bucket. edit: if anyone read this it was a scam website.
@@rekostarr7149 Did you look in the US?
@@AircreteHarry sh*t nevermind that canadian link is an indian scam website. amazon canada also sells it for 95USD here if one includes import fees and shipping.
@@AircreteHarry seems like price has gone up in the states too I see it's at 47.
Drexel is so expensive now, and the shipping to here is several times the cost of the bottle lol
I can feel my pizza oven happening. Thanks fr the information.
wisconsin hello to harry . great test .... Question; how many yards of aircrete would the 1 gallon of
drexal complete ? it would be used for the walls on a modest 800sqf home . if you recall im looking
to build in a rural area in the philippines . thank you ..............
@ l p s ...no problem .
ok thank you ... are you or have you ,,built a structure using aircrete ?
I think you fill the earth bags by pumping in with aircrete. What do you think it would make filling bags much faster.
Charles you can make about 4000 gallons of aircrete with one bottle of Drexel. If you built four 30 foot long 10 foot high 6 inch thick walls it would require 4888 gallons of aircrete.
Hi i want to make a natural cave with dome shape and made with air-crete bricks to "cure" cheese, that means the cheese has to stay there several months, so would you use drexel as a foaming agent considering its risks? thanks
If I were you, I would seal the inside with a paint on resin...that way, no bacterial items would be hiding in the 'pores' of the blocks., it would be easy to clean & keep a more constant humidity.
Hey Harry, we tried the Sodium Lauryl Sulfate you had on this video and got no foam at all...? The recipe didn't work out. There isn't 20TBSP in the 1lb bag. We ended up trying the whole bag and still got no foam. Can you clarify for me? I would use the Drexel, my only concern about that is all the warning and the fact that they don't say what is in it. I have chemical sensitivities so was concerned about that... Do you know what is in the Drexel? Thank you so much!
This is what you should be looking for: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_laureth_sulfate Aka SLES, not SLS
Here's a link where you can buy it: www.essentialwholesale.com/product/1368/sodium-laureth-sulfate-sles
Ratio is 1:10
Harry,
Im back reviewing because I'm finally actually making a 50 gallon batch of aircrete for an insulation project. Toward the end you talk about the potential health hazards of Drexel 160. The normal use for this product is food farmers mark their fields when seeding, spraying or other ground work where it isn't clear where the last's edge is. Yup, it's used in food production. That doesn't make it safe but it does indicate it is probably at least toward inert or benign.
How to meke forming agent video
Another foamer said that oilly hair shampoo was very good. He didn't mention cost effectiveness.
The name of the leagues is coco betaine us the name of the suffocating in liquid form. The SLA there's a bunch of different kinds slaa SLA but they don't deserve well in water so cocoa butane is a liquid it's not very expensive and you dissolve it in that but the best part about it is it's also or surfactant a surfactant is what how Bubbles are made so it's two different surfactants that work together to produce obviously more bubbles
Sir, I have a doubt will shampoo loose the strength of the concrete?
prince vazhakalam aircrete is not ss strong as concrete. This is a way to insulate and build on the cheap
@@mojomojo5779 Thanks you sir
What about PARATENE its non toxic. IDK I just saw looking at the data for Drexel.
SLS is a famous ingredient in floor stripper.
NOTE- Harry goes on about Sodium Sulfate and shows price from Amazon - and he also says lower in the comments in response to flick22601 that he bought 50lbs. It doesn't work.
I had the same experience. I bought a 1lb bag of the Sulfate just like he had and go no foam at all. I ended up putting in the whole bag and still no foam. Im so confused. Did you find something that worked for you?
The item he shows on the print out is not the item he has on the table. You need Sodium Lauryl Sulfate but the print out shows Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous. This also explains why one cost $6 and the other was like $20.
There are some differences among Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS), Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLES), and Sodium Lauryl SulfoAcetate (SLSa) ingredients. Please read www.simply-eden.com/blogs/additives/5902193-sls-vs-slsa-they-look-the-same-but-are-they
How does hard water affect foaming ability of F.M.-160™?
Under hard water conditions, it may be necessary to use 1 gallon of F.M.-160™ per 80 gallons of water.... Per the Drexel web site: www.drexchem.com/products/f-m-160/. If you've ever wash you hair in soft water... you know what the difference is compared to hard water as you'll only need 1/4 the shampoo to get twice the suds in softener treated water.
sodium laureth sulfate is not slsa.
Thank you
Dollar Tree sells Suave shampoo for $1/bottle. I'm not sure how many ounces; but, they look like the same size as he has on the table...
Is it diluted with water?
Doesn't Drexel have the same ingredients as the rest just concentrate of lauryl sulfate
that's what I'm thinking....you could look up an MDSS on it.
Have you tried J-lube