Defoamer PDF
Defoamer PDF
Foam is stabilized by the surface elasticity and surface viscosity of its film. Silicones have low surface
and interfacial tensions. This enables them to flow easily over the film. They seek out openings
between the foam-stabilizing surfactants at the liquid-air interface and occupy them. Silicones’ low
surface tension and interfacial properties combined with their lack of foam-stabilization properties
cause the foam wall to thin and collapse.
Source: http://www.dowcorning.com/content/discover/discoverchem/si-defoamers.aspx
Source: http://www.snfcanada.com/attachments/Antifoam-FLOFOAM_E.pdf
ANTI-FOAM / DEFOAMER
Composition: The most universal characteristic of any defoamer is the fact that it
is surface active, but highly insoluble in water. It has to be formulated so that it
will be dispersed as tiny droplets, i.e. as an emulsion. The surface-active nature of
the material causes it to spread very rapidly onto any air-water interface that it
encounters. This is especially the case if that interface already is covered by the
types of surface-active materials that tend to stabilize foams (P90). Some, but not
all defoamers contain hydrophobized silica particles or ethylene-bis-stearamide
particles. The function of such particles is to pierce the surfaces of foam bubbles,
causing them to coalesce when the defoamer spreads at the interface. In the past
the main ingredient of many defoamers was oil. However, concerns about
chlorinated organic products of bleaching have caused many pulpmakers and
papermakers to switch to low-oil, 100% "active", or silicone-based defoamers that
don't have this problem.
Function: To cause foam bubbles to coalesce to the point where they are large
enough to float harmlessly to the water surface and break
http://www4.ncsu.edu/~hubbe/DFOM.htm
Efficiency loss
Over time, Anti Foaming Agent might lose its efficiency due to 2 reasons:
Source: http://www.dowcorning.com/content/publishedlit/22-0160-01.pdf
Source: http://www.dowcorning.com/content/publishedlit/Chapter3.pdf