Phoenix SDS is one of the world’s largest suppliers of foaming additive to produce lightweight concrete (construction market). We specialize in lightweight concrete. Besides having our own Research and Development Laboratory, we work with several universities to explore and develop new applications for lightweight concrete.

With customers around the world (from Japan to Algeria), Phoenix sds has produced and sold millions of lightweight blocks and has helped over 30 companies set-up their own lightweight concrete plants – either as Franchisees making K Block Lightweight Block or as plants producing their own lightweight concrete. The photo to the right shows a typical medium sized semi-automatic lightweight concrete plant (production: 9m³ per hour).

We provide our customers with a complete service package - suppling plant layouts, mix designs, production equipment, foam additive and the technology to produce lightweight concrete – as well as providing training on production procedures, QC testing, and the technical aspects of lightweight concrete.

Having built and run our own lightweight concrete block plant for almost ten (10) years, Phoenix sds has hands-on experience in producing lightweight concrete, and know what it takes to make, every day, a consistent, economical, quality product that meets the markets needs. And our R&D program ensures our Customers keep up-to-date on any new equipment, mix design and technology improvements.

The Product Line

The company’s product line (brand name: K Block) consists of:
1. K Block Lightweight Block
2. Foam Additives to make Lightweight Concrete
3. Lightweight Concrete production equipment or complete plants
    a. Complete plants or systems can be bought for various production capacities: from less than <2.0 m³
        to fully automatic plants producing volumes over 300 m³ per shift
    b. Individual pieces of equipment can also be bought
    c. Depending on customer needs, plants/ systems can be set-up as labour intensive to semi-automatic to
         full automatic
4. K Block Lightweight Block Franchise
5. K Block Technology: enabling customers to produce lightweight concrete efficiently, consistently, and economically

Note: Phoenix SDS foam additive has been used to make lightweight concrete: blocks, cast-in-place walls, precast panels and walls, sandwich panels and walls, roof insulation, floor topping, fill material for voids, furniture and kitchen counters, architectural concrete, and ornamental concrete products.

Notes on K Block Technology

About 60 years ago two ideas were developed to produce lightweight concrete – Aerated Autoclave Concrete (AAC) and Cellular Lightweight Concrete (CLC). Each is based on the idea that adding air bubbles to mortar would lower its weight while at the same time significantly improving the materials heat insulation value (R-value), fire resistance, and sound protection. The difference between AAC and CLC lies in how the air bubbles are generated.

AAC uses aluminum powder to catalyze a reaction that generates hydrogen gas – bubbles formed from the reaction and are trapped in a cement, sand, gypsum slurry. The slurry is allowed to set and then the product is cut into panels or blocks and placed in an autoclave to cure (an autoclave is required because the slurry has low cement contents).

CLC describes a process based on making air bubbles in the form of a foam and then mixing the foam into a cement/ sand slurry – no reaction. The slurry is then poured into moulds. Since CLC slurries have higher cement contents, no autoclave curing is required – instead, the finished product is cured like normal concrete.

The advantage in using foam additives is that the foam now becomes a raw material. And as a raw material, the quality of the bubbles used can be controlled. The foam additive that K Block uses is unique – as we have designed the air bubbles so that, compared to AAC lightweight products, they are significantly smaller, stronger, and each bubble is part of a closed cell system – which means that K Block products have significantly lower water absorption - about half of the water absorption as AAC products.

K Block Technology is based on the CLC method, but it is a full system approach. We have selected the best technology for all aspects of production and product quality: from QC control to placing methods and foam additive to mix designs – making K Block Technology a great and unique lightweight concrete production system.