Bubble Surface Research Articles

Effects of biodegradable dispersants on the separation flotation of chalcopyrite and serpentine

The presence of serpentine slime coating on the chalcopyrite surfaces severely affects the chalcopyrite floatability. In this study, three biodegradable polymers, namely polyaspartic acid (PASP), polyepoxy succinic acid (PESA), and hydrolyzed polymaleic (HPMA) were used as dispersants to disperse the chalcopyrite and serpentine particles. The micro-flotation experiments demonstrated that the application of dispersants in the flotation effectively reduced the negative impact of serpentine over a wide pH range, restoring the recovery rate of chalcopyrite to about 85%. The XPS analysis revealed that the dispersants could be adsorbed onto the mineral surfaces through the binding of carboxyl groups with the magnesium or copper sites. As a result, the surface potentials of serpentine changed from positive to negative, while that of the chalcopyrite became even more negative, resulting in a strong electrostatic repulsion between them, which effectively eliminated the covering of the serpentine on the chalcopyrite surface. The AFM force measurements indicate a weak interaction of the polycarboxylic acids dispersants with the surface of chalcopyrite. Consequently, the adsorption of dispersants on the chalcopyrite surface has an insignificant impact on the subsequent adsorption of collectors, which is further supported by the adhesion force measurements between the air bubble and mineral surfaces. Therefore, the application of polycarboxylic acid dispersants in the flotation significantly enhanced the floatability of chalcopyrite in the presence of the serpentine fines.

Wake effect on bubble–particle collision: An experimental study using 4D particle tracking velocimetry

The analysis of particle–bubble collisions in turbulent flow is a fundamental problem of high technological relevance, e.g., for the separation of valuable mineral particles by froth flotation. This relevance contrasts with an apparent lack of experimental data and understanding of this collision process. To this end, a periodic bubble chain was used to study the collision of millimeter-sized bubbles with polystyrene particles. The collision process between these entities was measured using 4D particle tracking velocimetry (PTV). By analyzing the collision data as a function of the polar angle along the bubble surface, we show that the collision took place not only at the leading edge but also at the trailing edge of the bubble. To understand the underlying mechanisms of the trailing edge collision, the flow field around a rising bubble chain was measured with Tomographic Particle Image Velocimetry (TPIV). The vortex formed in the bubble wake led to a velocity in the direction of the bubble surface that enabled trailing edge collisions. This effect is amplified by an increase in the turbulent kinetic energy and dissipation rate in the bubble wake. Overall, the investigation reveals different collision mechanisms and advances our understanding of the role of the wake in the bubble–particle collision.

PERSPECTIVE: Interfacial stresses in thin film drainage: Subtle yet significant

Film drainage, essential in droplet and bubble coalescence and surface wetting, is influenced strongly by the stress boundary condition, in particular, when interfacial stresses are present. These stresses, caused by ubiquitous surface-active components, significantly impact the dynamics of liquid films. Through dynamic thin film balance experiments, we compare the effects of Marangoni stresses, interfacial viscosity, and interfacial viscoelasticity on the drainage of free-standing thin liquid films. These data serve to demonstrate that film deformation intricately depends on the interplay between these stresses and capillarity, resulting in widely varied drainage times. Seemingly subtle changes, especially in the local stress-carrying capacity of the interface, can lead to significant differences in film dynamics. This makes it a promising area for research into interfacial-rheologically active materials for stabilizing potentially more sustainable multiphase materials.

Effects of substrate materials and electrodeposition parameters on hydrogen evolution reaction of Ni–Cu–Fe coatings

In this study, the effects of substrate materials and electrodeposition parameters on the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) of Ni–Cu–Fe coatings were studied. For this purpose, different materials, including carbon steel (CS), stainless steel 304 (SS), and pure commercial graphite (G) were used as substrates, while the coating process was done in both modes of constant current density (CC) and variable current density, the latter to produce a functionally-graded (FG) coating. Microstructural investigations were done by using scanning electron microscopy, while the HER behavior was analyzed by electrochemical tests, including cyclic voltammetry (CV), linear scanning voltammetry (LSV), and electrochemical impedance (EIS) measurements. The morphology of the produced Ni–Cu–Fe coatings was completely affected by the coating parameters in the deposition bath and the type of substrates. In samples with micro/nano-cone morphology, deposited at a constant current density of 2.5 A/dm2, better HER behavior was obtained due to the highly effective surface and easier separation of hydrogen bubbles. Besides, the best electrocatalytic activity and the lowest overpotential (110 mV at 10 mA/cm2 in CC mode) were related to the samples coated on G. The proper selection of the substrate material plays an important role in improving the electrocatalytic behavior of composite coatings.

One-step construction of light-responsive intelligent foam by the Hoffmeister effect and 2D black phosphorus: High stability and on-demand degradation

Stimulus-responsive liquid foams have gained much attention for use in various industrial applications. However, it remains challenging to construct such systems with integrated functionality of easy preparation, high stability, high foaming ability, and rapid on-demand degradation. Herein, by combining the Hofmeister effect and nanotechnology, a promising ultrastable and photoresponsive liquid foam was prepared that had a lifetime of several months and could be destroyed on demand in a few minutes. Specifically, the system was prepared by simply mixing a gelatine solution containing black phosphorus nanosheets (BPNs) and kosmotropic anions in the Hofmeister series with air in one step using only two syringes, and there were no chemical modifications or crosslinking agents required. The kosmotropic anions induced stronger hydrophobic interactions, bundling within molecular chains, and blockage of foam drainage channels, which significantly improved the foaming ability and the lifetime and mechanical properties of the foam. Moreover, rational structure design realized a promising on-demand degradation mechanism via a cascading “light trigger–heat generation–Marangoni flow generation” process occurring on the bubble surfaces. On this basis, the BPNs converted light into thermal energy, which induced Marangoni flow driven by surface tension gradients along the gas‒liquid interfaces, and the bubble film ruptured within seconds upon light illumination. The designed stimulus‒response systems combined stable, fast and repeatable processes without sacrificing the foaming abilities, thus providing a general way to control the stabilities of foams, bubbles and films.

Numerical study of the drag force, interfacial area and mass transfer in bubbles in a vertical pipe

A systematic numerical study of drag force and mass transfer in gravity-driven bubbles in a vertical pipe is performed at Re∼O(100−1000). This research employs a parallel multi-marker unstructured conservative level set method for interface capturing, avoiding the numerical coalescence in bubble swarms. The finite volume method discretizes transport equations on 3D collocated unstructured meshes. Unstructured flux limiter schemes solve the convective term of transport equations, preserving the numerical stability at high Reynolds numbers and high-density ratios. Thermodynamic equilibrium is assumed at the interface for the concentration of chemical species. The hydrodynamics and mass transfer of bubbles are validated against classical correlations from the literature. Finally, direct simulations are executed to develop new correlations for the drag force, normalized bubble surface and Sherwood number for bubbles in a vertical pipe.

Effects of Salinity on the Macroscopic and Microscopic Evolution Characteristics of Methane Hydrate Films on Bubble Surfaces

Effects of Salinity on the Macroscopic and Microscopic Evolution Characteristics of Methane Hydrate Films on Bubble Surfaces

Performance test and analysis of tetracycline degradation using a Micro-Nano Bubble system

Antibiotics and organic residues from Tetracycline (TC) and other pharmaceuticals administered to aquatic living organism have negative impacts on aquatic environment by killing-off non-target living organisms and developing antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In this study, Micro-Nano Bubble (MNB) system was used to remove TC residues. MNB system demonstrated good level of degradation efficiency, as resulted in experiment where in time of 100 min, the TC degraded at rate of 82.66% from its initial concentration of TC when the initial concentration was 1 mg/L. When the initial concentration was increased to 10 mg/L, MNB system degraded TC at 64.35% of their initial, this means MNB system demonstrated good level of efficiency for TC removal and indicated that it is more efficient in TC degradation under the conditions of low initial TC concentration and high availability of dissolved oxygen (DO). In the system as the temperature increased there was a significant decrease in DO saturation which was related to the TC complex structure that contain multiple function groups such as amino groups, hydroxyl and carboxyl which possess high strong affinity with oxygen that leads to their adsorption onto bubble surface. This study provides significant insights into the application of MNB system for the removal of organic residues within aquatic ecosystem and underscores the need for further exploration of MNB technology for environmental remediation.

Technology of extraction of fuel mass from ash and slag waste in Ukraine

Purpose. Development of a technological scheme for the processing of ash and slag waste from coal-fired thermal power plants. The methods. The ash and slag dumps of thermal power plants are made up of the main components - slag, ash and unburned coal particles, drawing up an appropriate scheme for the extraction of coal particles allows the development of an effective scheme for the processing of ash and slag outputs of thermal power plants. The slag is separated from the fly ash by classification on a screen. Next, the method of extracting fuel mass from fly ash is used - the flotation method, based on the selective fixation of coal particles on the surface of air bubbles in the flotation chamber, with subsequent extraction of coal particles into a foam product. The mineral part of the ash cleaned from the fuel mass is ready for use in the road construction industry. Findings. A technological scheme for the processing of ash and slag waste of coal-fired thermal power plants has been developed, which makes it possible to obtain slag, high-quality coal concentrate, and the mineral part of ash. The originality. For the first time, a mathematical model was developed for forecasting indicators of enrichment of ash and slag waste of coal-fired thermal power plants by the flotation method. To predict beneficiation indicators, it is necessary to use three disclosure values: the initial ash content of the coal fraction (Aпd), the number of coal grains (PРЗ), the number of rock grains (PНЗ), provided that the separation characteristics of the beneficiation equipment are experimentally determined in advance. On the basis of the developed mathematical model of forecasting indicators of ash slag waste enrichment, an appropriate flotation scheme for effective extraction of fuel mass was drawn up, which made it possible to develop a technological scheme for processing ash slag waste of coal-fired thermal power plants. Practical implementation. The developed technological scheme for the processing of ash and slag waste makes it possible to obtain slag with a yield of 3.11% suitable for filling industrial roads, coal concentrate with a yield of 25.75% with an ash content of 21.80% can be used as a secondary fuel for thermal power plants or as a raw material for production solid fuel briquettes, as well as the mineral part of ash with a yield of 71.14% with an ash content of 98.10%, which can be used in the road construction industry.

Enhanced effect of ultrasound and gelatin on physical and antibacterial properties of thymol/hollow mesoporous silicon spheres doped zein film

A new antibacterial film, Thy-HMSS/zein film, was prepared from hollow mesoporous silicon spheres loaded with thymol (Thy-HMSS) by ultrasonic optimization casting method (150 W power ultrasonic treatment solution for 3 min). To further enhance the film quality, a composite film, Thy-HMSS/Zein-gelatin film (Thy-HMSS/ZG film), was created by incorporating gelatin into zein. Compared to film containing the same amount of Thy, the effective protection and slow-release effect of HMSS on Thy resulted in a lower release rate of Thy in Thy-HMSS/zein films in the first 2 h, while the total amount of Thy released increased by 10 %. The appearance and structure of the films were optimized by ultrasonic treatment, which reduced the surface bubbles, cross section pores and particle agglomeration. The addition of gelatin enhanced the antibacterial effect of the film, the inhibition zone diameters of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus can be increased by up to 123.53 % and 159.37 %, respectively. Both Thy-HMSS/zein film and Thy-HMSS/ZG film showed no toxicity in cytotoxicity tests and exhibited good anti-corrosion ability when applied to blueberry preservation. Therefore, the combination of HMSS encapsulation with ultrasonic treatment and gelatin addition represents a suitable and straightforward approach for producing excellent antimicrobial films with superior appearance, structure, and antibacterial properties. This method holds significant potential in the food industry for producing sustainable active packaging materials while also offering new avenues for employing various techniques in films preparation.

Numerical Study on the Dynamics of a Charged Bubble in the Acoustic Field

In this paper, the dynamics of an acoustic bubble with a constant charge in compressible liquid are investigated numerically, which is based on the Gilmore-NASG model to estimate the radial oscillations. The cavitation effects are enhanced due to the presence of the charge on the bubble surface. The obtained results from the present model are compared with that calculated by the previous model within a wide range of parameters (e.g., charge, acoustic pressure amplitude, ultrasound frequency, and liquid temperature). The similar influences of these parameters on bubble collapse intensity can be observed from both models. Since the present model fully considers the compressibility of gas and liquid, it can be applied to a wider parameter range and leads to the larger predicted values. The research in this paper can provide important insights about the effects of charge on bubble dynamics and the acoustic cavitation applications (e.g., sonochemistry, water treatment, and food industry).

Competitive barrier and trapping effects of helium bubbles on hydrogen isotopes migration behavior in tungsten

In fusion reactors, plasma-facing materials will be exposed to low-energy and high-flux plasma of the hydrogen isotopes fuel, i.e., deuterium (D) and tritium (T), along with helium (He), the product of nuclear fusion reactions. He irradiation is likely to trigger the formation of He bubbles beneath the material surface, exerting complex effects on the migration patterns of hydrogen isotopes. In this work, molecular dynamics simulations were employed to investigate the influence of nano-sized He bubbles on the D migration behavior in tungsten (W) during the continuous implantation and diffusion processes, which is more consistent with the fusion environment for plasma-facing materials. It is found that the influence of He bubbles on D migration behavior can be classified into barrier and trapping effects. These effects show a competitive relationship at different processes. During the implantation process, the barrier effect takes precedence over the trapping effect, leading to the reduced D retention. Conversely, during the diffusion process, the trapping effect dominates over the barrier effect, resulting in increased D retention. Due to the surface of He bubbles serves as the trapping sites for hydrogen isotopes, augmenting the size and density of He bubbles notably enriches the strong trapping sites in W. When the location of He bubble is closer to the surface, a higher frequency of interaction events occurs between the implanted D atoms and He bubbles, consequently increasing D retention. Additionally, it was also found that the lattice distortion in pure W is more pronounced than that in He bubble-containing W at high temperatures due to the robust interaction between D and He, which diminishes collisions between D atoms and the W lattice. This study gives a valuable insight into the influence of He bubbles on hydrogen isotopes migration behavior in the fusion environment.

Effect of bubble properties and dispersion characteristics in microbubble counter-current collision flotation column

ABSTRACT Cationic collectors are widely used in the flotation of hematite, silicate, oxides, etc. GE-601, as a new type of cationic collector, which was used in various mineral flotation process, has achieved excellent selection indexes. In order to study foaming performance of GE-601, the bubble characteristics are studied in an experimental scale two-phase flotation column. A high-speed camera recorder is used to take bubbles’ images and the distribution of bubble diameter under different conditions is measured by image analysis. Moreover, the surface tension of bubbles under different reagent concentrations is measured by a surface tension meter. Studies show that as GE-601 concentration increases, d 32 gradually decreases and after exceeding CCC, Sauter mean diameter (d 32) stabilizes at 0.562 mm. When the bubble diameter decay degree is 99%, 90% and 50%, GE-601 concentration reaches 0.112 mol/m3, 0.0643 mol/m3, and 0.0295 mol/m3, respectively. The adsorption concentration of GE-601 is about 0.0254 μmol·m−2. GE-601 reduces pulsation on the surface of bubbles in flowing liquid. During the rise of bubbles, d 32 is approximately linearly related to measured height, but the concentration of d 32 and GE-601 decrease varies linearly.

The Biophysical Properties of Microalgal Cell Surfaces Govern Their Interactions with an Amphiphilic Chitosan Derivative Used for Flocculation and Flotation.

Microalgae show great promise for producing valuable molecules like biofuels, but their large-scale production faces challenges, with harvesting being particularly expensive due to their low concentration in water, necessitating extensive treatment. While methods such as centrifugation and filtration have been proposed, their efficiency and cost-effectiveness are limited. Flotation, involving air-bubbles lifting microalgae to the surface, offers a viable alternative, yet the repulsive interaction between bubbles and cells can hinder its effectiveness. Previous research from our group proposed using an amphiphilic chitosan derivative, polyoctyl chitosan (PO-chitosan), to functionalize bubbles used in dissolved air flotation (DAF). Molecular-scale studies performed using atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed that PO-chitosan's efficiency correlates with cell surface properties, particularly hydrophobic ones, raising the question of whether this molecule can in fact be used more generally to harvest different microalgae. Evaluating this, we used a different strain of Chlorella vulgaris and first characterized its surface properties using AFM. Results showed that cells were hydrophilic but could still interact with PO-chitosan on bubble surfaces through a different mechanism based on specific interactions. Although force levels were low, flotation resulted in 84% separation, which could be explained by the presence of AOM (algal organic matter) that also interacts with functionalized bubbles, enhancing the overall separation. Finally, flocculation was also shown to be efficient and pH-independent, demonstrating the potential of PO-chitosan for harvesting microalgae with different cell surface properties and thus for further sustainable large-scale applications.

Buoyant Metal-Organic Framework Corona-Driven Fast Isolation and Ultrasensitive Profiling of Circulating Extracellular Vesicles.

Accurately assaying tumor-derived circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs) is fundamental in noninvasive cancer diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring but limited by challenges in efficient EV isolation and profiling. Here, we report a bioinspired buoyancy-driven metal-organic framework (MOF) corona that leverages on-bubble coordination and dual-encoded surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) nanotags to streamline rapid isolation and ultrasensitive profiling of plasma EVs in a single assay for cancer diagnostics. This integrated bubble-MOF-SERS EV assay (IBMsv) allows barnacle-like high-density adhesion of MOFs on a self-floating bubble surface to enable fast isolation (2 min, near 90% capture efficiency) of tumor EVs via enhanced EV-MOF binding. Also, IBMsv harnesses four-plexed SERS nanotags to profile the captured EV surface protein markers at a single-particle level. Such a sensitive assay allows multiplexed profiling of EVs across five cancer types, revealing heterogeneous EV surface expression patterns. Furthermore, the IBMsv assay enables cancer diagnosis in a pilot clinical cohort (n = 55) with accuracies >95%, improves discrimination between cancer and noncancer patients via an algorithm, and monitors the surgical treatment response from hepatocellular carcinoma patients. This assay provides a fast, sensitive, streamlined, multiplexed, and portable blood test tool to enable cancer diagnosis and response monitoring in clinical settings.

Effects of the diffusion path on the effective diffusion coefficient of hydrogen isotope in tungsten with helium bubbles

In irradiated tungsten (W), the formation of numerous helium (He) bubbles has a significant impact on the diffusion behaviors of hydrogen (H) isotopes. To investigate the influence of the microstructure of He bubbles on the diffusion behaviors of deuterium (D), we utilize the reconstructed experimental data, the phase-field method, and the steady-state diffusion equation to calculate the effective diffusion coefficients of D based on four possible diffusion paths, i.e., D atoms diffuse in the bulk W, inside the He bubbles, and along the outer and inner surface of He bubbles. Simulation results based on the reconstructed depth-dependent distribution of He bubbles reveal that the diffusion paths remarkably affect the effective diffusion coefficient of D. By varying the radius and number density of He bubbles, the effective diffusion coefficient of D undergoes significant changes. Subsequently, we fit an empirical formula of the effective diffusion coefficient of D as a function of the radius and number density of He bubbles for different diffusion paths of D based on simulation data. Besides, the growth behaviors of He bubbles are simulated by the phase-field model, and the effective diffusion coefficient of D as a function of the evolutionary time for different diffusion paths is also discussed. At last, we investigate the influence of the D concentration and temperature on the effective diffusion coefficient of D along different diffusion paths. These results indicate that the effective diffusion coefficient of D increases with decreasing the D concentration and increasing the temperature for four diffusion paths. The current study provides a reference for investigating the diffusion behaviors of D in W in the presence of He bubbles, and may benefit the efforts of developing low D retention W-based materials.

Enhancement mechanism of polysorbate surfactant at solid/liquid and gas/liquid interfaces in magnesite tailings flotation desilication via MD and DFT calculations

To achieve the efficient flotation desilication of magnesite tailings (MT), this research systematically investigated the selective adsorption behavior of dodecylamine (DDA) and its compound collectors formed by mixing with Polysorbate surfactants and DDA. The investigation integrated experimental and simulation approaches. The results of the flotation experiment showed that the compound collector improved the MgO grade of the concentrate by 0.20% compared to DDA alone. Additionally, the SiO2 content was reduced by 1.04%, and the concentrate achieved a MgO grade of 41.95%. Molecular simulations provided new insights into the enhanced flotation mechanism with compound collectors, focusing on the size effect of collectors at the solid/liquid interface and bubble modification of collectors at the gas/liquid interface. The analysis indicates that small-size compound collectors can optimally utilise the collecting performance of individual DDA molecules, thereby effectively reducing reagent consumption per unit. Correlation tests indicate a notable enhancement in the hydrophobicity of the quartz surface subsequent to the application of the compound collector, suggesting that the compound collector exhibits a more solidophilic characteristic than DDA. The collectors of the compound facilitate the movement of water molecules on the bubble surface. This leads to a significant increase in the hydrophobicity of the bubble surface, which in turn increases the likelihood of bubble-particle contact collision and adhesion. Compared to DDA, the low dosage of compound collector has the potential to reduce costs and lay the foundation for industrial-grade MT flotation purification.

Jetting enhancement from wall-proximal cavitation bubbles by a distant wall

An additional distant wall is known to highly alter the jetting scenarios of wall-proximal bubbles. Here, we combine high-speed photography and axisymmetric volume of fluid (VoF) simulations to quantitatively describe its role in enhancing the micro-jet dynamics within the directed jet regime (Zeng et al., J. Fluid Mech., vol. 896, 2020, A28). Upon a favourable agreement on the bubble and micro-jet dynamics, both experimental and simulation results indicate that the micro-jet velocity increases dramatically as $\eta$ decreases, where $\eta =H/R_{max}$ is the distance between two walls $H$ normalized by the maximum bubble radius $R_{max}$ . The mechanism is related to the collapsing flow, which is constrained by the distant wall into a reverse stagnation-point flow that builds up pressure near the bubble's top surface and accelerates it into micro-jets. We further derive an equation expressing the micro-jet velocity $U_{jet}=87.94\gamma ^{0.5}(1+(1/3)(\eta -\lambda ^{1.2})^{-2})$ , where ${\gamma =d/R_{max}}$ is the stand-off distance to the proximal wall with $d$ the distance between the initial bubble centre and the wall, $\lambda =R_{y,m}/R_{max}$ with $R_{y,m}$ the distance between the top surface and the proximal wall at the bubble's maximum expansion. Viscosity has a minimal impact on the jet velocity for small $\gamma$ , where the pressure buildup is predominantly influenced by geometry.

Surface Bubbles Emergence as an Indicator for Optimal Concrete Compaction.

Compaction quality significantly influences the strength and durability of concrete in structures. Under-compacting can retain entrapped air, reducing strength, while over-compacting can lead to segregation, creating local variances in strength distribution and modulus of elasticity in the concrete structure. This study examines the widely adopted concept that compaction is optimal when bubbles cease to emerge on the concrete surface. We recorded the surface activity of six comparable concrete specimens during the compaction process using a 4K video camera. Four specimens were compacted using a table vibrator and two with a poker vibrator. From the video frames, we isolated the bubbles for analysis, employing digital image processing techniques to distinguish newly risen bubbles per frame. It was found that the bubbles continuously rose to the surface in all specimens throughout the compaction process, suggesting a need for extended compaction, with some specimens showing a slow in the rate of the bubbles' emergence. However, upon examining the segregation levels, it was discovered that all the specimens were segregated, some severely, despite the continued bubble emergence. These findings undermine the reliability of using bubble emergence as a principle to stop compaction and support the need for developing online measurement tools for evaluating compaction quality.

Effect of foaming characteristics of air entrained agents on mechanical properties and pore structures of cement-based materials in plateau mountainous regions

Concrete freeze-thaw damage is common in high-altitude regions. Adding an appropriate amount of air-entraining agents (AEA) can improve the flowability of fresh concrete and the frost resistance of hardened concrete, without significantly affecting concrete strength. However, the existing studies of the influence and mechanism of AEAs on concrete mainly focus on conventional environmental tests and simulated conditions, with less consideration to the various environmental factors caused by real altitude changes. In this study, five types of AEAs are utilized according to bubble shaking tests in two different altitude environments: Chengdu, Sichuan (altitude: 300 m; air pressure: 96.7 kPa), and Aba Prefecture, Sichuan (altitude: 3700 m; air pressure: 66.7 kPa). Physical and mechanical properties as well as pore structure tests are also conducted on AEA paste and concrete. The results show that the relationship between air bubble sizes and surface tension of AEA solutions is the closest, with larger bubble sizes, smaller bubble volumes, and poorer foaming properties observed at high-altitude regions. Adding an appropriate amount of AEA can improve concrete workability. In high-altitude and low-temperature regions, AEA concrete exhibits better slump retention. The addition of triterpenoid saponin AEA increases the proportion of small pores (0.5 μm–200 μm) in paste and concrete, with a lower growth rate observed at high altitudes compared to lower altitudes. Additionally, the average pore diameter and bubble spacing coefficient of hardened paste decrease, optimizing the pore structure. Triterpenoid saponin AEA is recommended for improving concrete performance in high-altitude environments, with a recommended dosage of 0.01 %.