Fosroc Cebex 130
Chloride-free powder air-entraining, plasticising and retarding admixture that makes masonry and plastering mortars more workable, cohesive and longer-lasting on site.
What is it?
A dry, powder-form mortar admixture from Fosroc that combines three actions in one product: it entrains controlled air, plasticises the mix and gently retards the set. It is based on polymerised resins and is guaranteed chloride-free.
Where is it used?
Bricklaying, blockwork and plaster/render mortars on building sites – particularly dry/silo-batched mortars and mixes made with high-fines or poorly graded sands across residential, commercial and infrastructure projects.
Why use it?
It cuts the water and cement demand of sand-cement mortar, boosts workability and adhesion, keeps the mortar usable longer in hot weather and reduces the lime or clay traditionally added to fatten lean mixes.
How is it applied?
Added as a powder at 0.1-0.5 kg per 100 kg of cement, either pre-blended with the cement/sand or charged with the dry constituents, then mixed with the gauging water to a uniform, plastic consistency before laying.
About Fosroc Cebex 130
Fosroc Cebex 130 is a powdered admixture engineered specifically for masonry and rendering mortars rather than for structural concrete. It belongs to Fosroc’s Cebex family of cement additives and sits alongside liquid plasticisers such as Cebex 112 and the heavier-duty Cebex SP and Cebex 150 grades. What distinguishes Cebex 130 is that it delivers three functions in a single dry powder – air entrainment, plasticisation and a controlled set-retarding effect – which makes it well suited to dry, pre-blended mortars supplied to site in ready-to-use silos and mixed through a screw/auger conveyor.
The chemistry is built around polymerised resins, and Fosroc guarantees the product chloride-free. That matters in Indian conditions where chloride ingress is a leading cause of reinforcement corrosion; keeping admixtures chloride-free protects any embedded wall ties, lintel bars or starter steel. By occluding millions of microscopic, evenly distributed air bubbles, Cebex 130 acts as a “ball-bearing” lubricant within the mortar. The result is a buttery, cohesive mix that is reached at a lower water content and, crucially, with less cement than a plain sand-cement mortar of the same workability.
For contractors, consultants and architects in India, the practical appeal is consistency and economy. Indian masonry sand is frequently silty or high in fines, which normally makes mortar harsh, water-hungry and prone to rapid drying. Cebex 130 is formulated for exactly these mixes – it tolerates high-fines sand, slows the loss of water to the substrate and the air, and keeps the mortar plastic for longer so a mason can lay more brick or block per batch with cleaner, fuller joints. Because Cebex 130 mortars are more workable, masons place units faster, waste less material from board droppings, and produce more uniform bedding and pointing.
The technical insight
The technical heart of Cebex 130 is stabilised air entrainment combined with a plasticising/retarding resin system. The entrained air is not the random, large voids you get from over-mixing; it is a controlled volume of tiny, discrete bubbles that physically separate sand grains and reduce inter-particle friction. This is why a lower water/cement ratio holds the same workability, and lower water means lower drying shrinkage and a denser, more impermeable set mortar. The same air voids also interrupt capillary paths, which is the mechanism behind the product’s improved water resistance.
The retarding component is equally deliberate. By slowing initial set, Cebex 130 extends the open/board life of the mortar – valuable in Delhi NCR summers where un-admixed mortar can stiffen before it is laid. It also reduces the chance of the mortar “drying out” on absorptive, high-suction bricks before bond develops, which is why Fosroc cites improved adhesion and the mortar’s reluctance to slump off the face of the wall. Dosage governs all of this: Fosroc specifies 0.1-0.5 kg of powder per 100 kg of cement, and within that band higher doses give more air and more retardation. As with any air-entraining agent, overdosing must be avoided – excessive air reduces compressive and bond strength, so site trial mixes to fix the working dose are essential. Cebex 130 is compatible with ordinary Portland cement; for structural concrete (rather than masonry mortar) Fosroc directs users to its Conplast range instead.
Where it is used
- Bedding and jointing mortar for clay-brick, fly-ash-brick and AAC/concrete blockwork
- Internal and external cement plaster and render coats, including on high-suction substrates
- Dry, factory-blended mortars batched in site silos and discharged through screw/auger mixers
- Mortars made with locally available high-fines or silty sand that would otherwise be harsh and water-hungry
- Hot-weather masonry where extended workability and retarded set are needed to maintain output
- Replacing lime or clay additions used traditionally to ‘fatten’ lean sand-cement masonry mixes
Key advantages
- Three-in-one action: air-entraining, plasticising and retarding in a single powder
- Chloride-free (polymerised-resin base) – safe around wall ties, lintel bars and starter steel
- Reduces both water and cement demand for a given workability, lowering shrinkage and cost
- Improves mortar cohesion and adhesion so it stays on the trowel and the wall face
- Extends working/board life, keeping mortar usable longer in hot Indian conditions
- Tolerant of high-fines and silty sands common across India
- Faster, cleaner laying with fuller joints and less material wastage
- Powder format integrates easily into dry/silo-batched and bagged mortar systems
Limitations & considerations
- A masonry/plaster mortar admixture – not intended for structural concrete (use Conplast plasticisers/superplasticisers there)
- Air entrainment must be dose-controlled; overdosing lowers compressive and bond strength, so site trial mixes are essential
- Entrained-air content varies with mix temperature, sand grading, mixing time and energy, demanding consistent batching
- Provides no waterproofing or expansion function – for grout/anchor expansion use Cebex 100 or Cebex SP, for integral waterproofing use a dedicated product
- Public Fosroc datasheet does not publish a fixed specific gravity or a numeric compressive-strength figure for Cebex 130, so performance values should be established by job-specific trials
- Pack size and shelf-life for the Indian market should be confirmed against the current local TDS/label at time of order
Selection & best practice
Always establish the working dose with a site trial mix before bulk use: start near the lower end of the 0.1-0.5 kg per 100 kg cement band and increase only as needed to reach the target workability, checking that air content and bond are not compromised. For uniform air entrainment, batch by weight, keep mixing time and energy consistent from batch to batch, and avoid over-mixing, which destabilises the air. Pre-blend the powder thoroughly with the dry cement and sand (or charge it with the dry materials in silo/auger systems) so it disperses evenly before the gauging water is added. Keep the water content to the minimum that gives a plastic, cohesive mix – that is where the water- and cement-saving benefit is realised. Store the bags in a dry, covered area in their original sealed packaging, off the ground, and use older stock first. Confirm the current pack size, dosage and shelf-life against the latest Fosroc TDS or product label for India at the time of supply.
Specifications
| Product type | Powder air-entraining, plasticising and retarding mortar admixture |
| Chemical base | Polymerised resins |
| Form / appearance | Powder |
| Chloride content | Chloride-free (guaranteed) |
| Primary function | Air entrainment + plasticising + set retardation |
| Dosage | 0.1 – 0.5 kg per 100 kg of cement (0.1-0.5% by weight of cement) |
| Cement compatibility | Ordinary Portland cement |
| Typical uses | Brick/block laying mortar, plaster and render, dry/silo-batched mortars |
| Suited to | Mortars with high-fines / silty sand |
| Application area | Masonry & plastering mortar (not structural concrete) |
Industry use cases
Residential & commercial masonry
Bricklaying and blockwork bedding mortar where a workable, cohesive, slow-stiffening mix lets masons lay faster with fuller, neater joints.
Plastering & rendering
Internal and external render coats on high-suction brick, where retarded set and air entrainment prevent premature drying and improve adhesion to the wall face.
Silo / dry-mortar suppliers
Factory-blended dry mortars delivered to site in silos and mixed through augers, where a powder admixture integrates cleanly into the dry blend.
Projects using local sand
Sites relying on high-fines or silty sand that would normally produce harsh, water-hungry mortar – Cebex 130 restores plasticity and cohesion without extra lime or clay.
Hot-region construction (Delhi NCR & beyond)
Summer masonry programmes where extended board life and reduced rapid drying maintain mortar quality and crew output through the working day.
Frequently asked questions
Is Fosroc Cebex 130 the same as Cebex 100?
What dosage of Cebex 130 should I use?
Does Cebex 130 contain chlorides?
Can I use Cebex 130 in structural concrete?
How is Cebex 130 different from Cebex 112?
Will Cebex 130 make my mortar waterproof?
How we position Fosroc Cebex 130
Within Fosroc’s range, Cebex 130 occupies the masonry-mortar niche: a chloride-free powder that air-entrains, plasticises and retards, ideal for dry/silo-batched bricklaying and plastering mortars. Its closest Fosroc siblings are Cebex 112 (a liquid mortar plasticiser already stocked by Space Arc), Cebex 150 (a similar powder air-entraining/plasticising/retarding grade), Cebex 120 (a powder aerating/plasticising additive without the retarder) and Cebex SP (a superplasticising, expansive powder for higher-performance, shrinkage-free mortar). For grouting and anchoring rather than masonry, Fosroc’s Cebex 100 expanding grout admixture is the right choice, and for structural concrete the Conplast plasticiser/superplasticiser family applies. Against the wider Indian market, credible alternatives include Sika’s mortar plasticiser/air-entraining admixtures, MBS (Master Builders Solutions) MasterCast/MasterPel masonry products, Dr. Fixit’s Pidiproof/mortar-admixture line, and STP’s range – though procurement teams specifying chloride-free, silo-compatible powder dosing for high-fines Indian sands will find Cebex 130 a well-matched, name-brand option. As an authorised Fosroc distributor and applicator across Delhi NCR and Pan-India, Space Arc Engineering can advise on dose, trial mixes and the right Cebex grade for your mortar system.
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