Antifoaming Agents: What You Need to Know

Posted by marykate on May 9, 2022 5:50 pm | Leave a Comment

Industrial and commercial operations use antifoams, defoamers, and air release agents to reduce, control or eliminate foam in liquid processes. While these three terms are often used interchangeably or referred to under the umbrella of “foam control”, antifoams have a unique intended effect, making it important to understand their function and application before selecting an appropriate product.

Antifoaming Agents vs Defoamers

Many industry professionals commonly use the term “defoamer” in reference to both defoamers and antifoaming agents; however, they each have a distinct purpose, so it is helpful to differentiate between them.

The primary function of defoamers is to reduce, control or eliminate existing foam, while antifoams function more specifically to prevent the formation of foam in the first place. In many circumstances, defoamers are metered continuously at low levels into a system, or applied in more urgent situations once a foaming problem is present and requires efficient elimination. Separately, antifoams are intended for incorporation prior to the emergence of foam. Frequently, an antifoam becomes an integral component of a product, not just a processing aid.

Both defoamers and antifoams often utilize the same basic chemistries and can be incorporated to both knock down existing foam and continue to functionally control foam throughout the lifecycle of a product.

How Do Antifoaming Agents Work?

As introduced above, antifoams work to prevent the formation of foam. They typically consist of a carrier fluid such as silicone, mineral oil, esters, or polyols, along with hydrophobic solids like waxes, fatty alcohols, fatty acids, or treated silica. Antifoams may also contain other functional components to promote dispersion, spreading, stability, compatibility, wetting, etc.

Antifoams are intended to be introduced prior to the formation of foam. As a general rule, they work best when applied at a point of good agitation to allow for optimum distribution into the liquid media. As bubbles begin to form and rise to the surface as air or other gas is incorporated through agitation, aeration, reaction or other means, antifoams work to rapidly destabilize foam films and control the foam before it becomes a problem.

Formulated to exhibit limited compatibility in the bulk phase of the foaming medium, antifoams interact at the gas-liquid interface, also known as the lamella or bubble wall. As the antifoam enters the lamella, it begins to spread across this interface, thinning the bubble wall. As it spreads, the antifoam displaces the foam-stabilizing surfactants, further weakening the lamella until it ruptures.

Selection & Application of Antifoaming Agents

Crucible maintains an extensive formulary of antifoam chemistries, often broadly categorized into silicone and non-silicone types, both of which contain a diverse spectrum of chemistries.

Which antifoam is most appropriate depends on several factors, including the chemical & physical properties of the foaming solution, its intended use and application, the method of foam generation, the type of foam present, and any applicable regulatory requirements. Proper selection and evaluation can be a difficult task. Our technical staff has the knowledge and experience to guide you through the selection process and find an effective foam control solution for your application.

A wide variety of applications utilize antifoam agents to prevent the formation of foam. Those listed below are just a selection:

Paint, Inks, Coatings, Adhesives & Emulsion Polymers

Pigment grinding, mixing, and chemical reactions inherently generate foam in these processes. Left unchecked, foam can result in significant production and packaging inefficiencies, as well as surface defects in dried films. To effectively control foam and its detrimental effects, antifoams are crucial components of these types of products.

Crucible Chemical carries a selection of reliable antifoams for paints and coatings, adhesives, and inks.

Water & Waste Treatment

In water and wastewater treatment applications, controlling foam is critical to safe, efficient and environmentally friendly operations.

At Crucible Chemical, we offer a number of antifoam products for water treatment applications.

Miscellaneous Chemical Manufacturing & Compounding

Certain chemical synthesis, reaction and processing operations rely on antifoams and defoamers to prevent and control foam formation.

Cleaning & Janitorial Products & Processes

Useful both during their manufacture and at the point of use, antifoams are effective components of carpet cleaners, floor polishes, parts washers, detergents, sanitizing solutions and many other cleaning and janitorial products.

Metal-Working Fluids

Metal-working applications using soluble oils, semi-synthetic and synthetic fluids require antifoams, which help increase productivity, extend the lifespan of tools, and reduce scrap rate.

You’ll find a selection of high-quality antifoaming agents for metal-working fluids at Crucible Chemical.

Textiles

The processes of sizing, scouring, bleaching, dyeing, finishing, etc. in textile applications create foam which can contribute to problems like machine downtime, uneven dyeing, and spotting on printed fabrics. Antifoams are often formulated into textile auxiliaries like dye carriers, scours, wetting agents and print pastes, and other foam control solutions are employed throughout textile wet processing.

Oil and Gas

Foam can reduce productivity and efficiency during drilling, extracting, and processing operations in the oil and gas industry. Antifoams prevent and control foam in almost every process in the industry, both aqueous and nonaqueous.

Work with Crucible Chemical for All Your Foam Control Needs

Antifoaming agents work to avert the many detrimental effects of foam before it becomes a problem. Proper selection and application saves time and money, keeping processes running smoothly and maintaining consistent product quality.

To learn more about how our Foamkill™ antifoams and defoamers can help improve your operations, please contact us today.

Don’t let foam be your problem — let it be ours.

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Foamkill is a trademark of Crucible Chemical Company, Inc.