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These magic defoamer agents: how to make foam disappear in seconds?
The presence of foam is often a headache in many industries, creating inefficiencies and potential hazards whether in manufacturing, cleaning or food processing. It is against this background that defoaming agents, or chemical additives known as antifoaming agents, come into being.
Defoaming agents are chemical additives that reduce and prevent the formation of foam in industrial process fluids.
The term "defoaming agent" is often used interchangeably with "antifoaming agent", but in fact there is a subtle difference between them. Defoaming agents focus on eliminating existing foam, while antifoaming agents prevent foam from forming. Common defoamers include insoluble oils, polydimethylsiloxane and other different types of silanes, certain alcohols, stearates, and glycols.
The generation and danger of bubbles
In industrial processes, the presence of foam can cause various problems. They cause defects in the surface coating, which affects the visual quality of the product and prevents efficient filling of containers. Additionally, foam can cause liquids to spill, which creates a pool of liquid around the device, posing a safety concern.
The essential properties of a defoaming agent are low viscosity and the ability to spread quickly over the foam surface.
Characteristics and history of defoaming agents
Defoaming agents are usually insoluble in the foam medium and have surface-active properties. Its basic characteristic is that it can quickly destroy the foam structure, thereby promoting the accumulated bubbles to rise to the liquid surface. The earliest defoaming agents used light oils such as kerosene and fuel oil to destroy visible foam on the surface, while vegetable oils and fatty alcohols also found applications in this process.
In the 1950s, silicone-based defoamers began to be used, and over the following decades, these products underwent significant improvements. Especially in the 1970s, in response to the oil crisis, scientists reduced the use of oil and developed water-based defoaming agents. These advances also extended to manufacturing industries such as the wood and paper industries.
Classification of defoaming agents
Oil-based defoaming agent
Oil-based defoaming agents usually contain an oil carrier. These oils are insoluble in the foam medium and can enhance the performance of the defoaming agent. These products are often effective at breaking up surface foam.
Powder defoaming agent
Powder defoaming agents are oil-based defoaming agents based on particulate carriers such as silica. They are often added to powdered products such as cement, gypsum and detergents.
Water-based defoaming agent
Water-based defoamers are various oils and waxes dispersed in a water base. These products are often used to release air from packages and play a significant role in the treatment process.
Silicon-based defoaming agent
Silicon-based defoamers are polymers and are typically supplied as oil or water-based emulsions. Not only do they effectively break up surface foam, they also release trapped air.
Foam problems in industrial applications
Foam problems are very common in industrial processes, such as wood production, food processing, and pharmaceutical production. These foams not only affect production efficiency, but may also cause equipment failure. Mechanical failures can also be exacerbated by air loss caused by foam, causing metal-to-metal contact damage in equipment.
Anti-foaming agents can be added to some detergents to reduce foam and thereby improve the cleaning effect.
Test the effectiveness of defoaming agents
There are many methods for testing defoaming agents. The simple method is to observe the generation and duration of foam. An effective testing system can measure changes in foam height and gradual liquid density in a liquid to help analyze the actual effectiveness of defoaming agents.
Future challenges and opportunities
In response to the current growing global concern for environmental protection, the development of defoaming agents with low environmental impact has become an important trend in the future. Many companies are working hard to find alternatives that can effectively control bubbles without harming the environment. Have you ever thought that defoaming agents in the future might not rely on chemical synthesis at all?
