FAQ’s about Anti-foaming Agent

Foams created by air trapped into liquid or solid is a very common occurrence in our daily life and we don’t think about it too much. But when this phenomenon occurs in industrial course it becomes quite a headache. Foams in industrial process are not a pleasant sight as they hinder production time, reduce efficiency, production volume and ultimately increase production cost.

Anti-foaming agents or Defoamers are your messiah here. Here are some frequently asked questions about defoamers:

What is a defoamer or anti-foaming agent?

An anti-foaming agent is a chemical additive that reduces and hinders the formation of foam in the industrial process. Fundamentally a defoamer must be insoluble in the foaming medium and has a low surface tension so it can spread across the surface. You can get in touch with a qualified Defoamer Supplier to know more.

What causes foaming?

There are multiple reasons that causes foaming, contamination is probably the primary one. Contamination of solids and liquids can cause foaming. Mechanical problems cause foaming too, leaks provide excessive air to the liquid that causes foaming. Cross contamination of the fluid with wrong lubricant and contamination of the fluid with grease also causes foaming too.

Why do surfactants foam?

If we observe carefully, we will see that pure liquids never form foam, even if we bubble the air beneath the surface of a pure liquid the bubble will rupture immediately as soon as they come in contact with each other. This occurs mainly due to the thinning of the liquid film due to mechanical or thermal disturbances that cause this rupture. But surfactants when absorbed to the liquid gas interface can prevent this and allows the foam to form. Surfactants mainly reduce the surface tension of the liquid or increase its colloidal stability by inhibiting coalescence of bubbles.

How does a defoamer work?

Defoamers work by penetrating the foam lamella. An anti-foaming agent is insoluble in the foaming medium and has surface active properties; it has a low viscosity and can spread rapidly on foamy surfaces. Anti-foaming agents have affinity to the air-liquid surface where it destabilizes the foam lamellas, this cause rupture of the air bubbles and breaks down the surface foams.

What can I use as a defoamer?

There are a number of readymade products available in the market based on different composition and usability. If you are looking to break down surface foams, then you have to use heavy duty defoamers like, silicon based and oil based defoamers. There are other light weight defoamers like power based, water based and EO/PO based defoamers, these can release air and break down foams. Alkyl polyacrylates is a type of defoamer that is especially used to release entrained air.

Apart from these industry ready defoamers, there are certain household things that can be used as a defoamer. Salt is primary example of this, it reduces the foaming agent brilliantly. Baking soda and vinegar works as a brilliant anti-foaming agent. You can mix white vinegar with water or you can mix white vinegar and baking soda with water to create your very own homemade anti-foaming agent.

We sincerely hope this article answers all your queries about a defoamer or an anti-foaming agent.