Foam Control Technology

Historical Defoamers/Antifoam
Fat/Lard Kerosene Silicone fluid Refined petroleum distillates

Why Is Foam A Problem?

Equipment failure Loss of plant efficiency Product defects
Voids in inks, paints and coatings Adhesion loss Spots in textiles

Safety hazard Eyesore Environmental hazard

What Causes Foam?

Foam is a result of contamination of a pure liquid
Contaminants
Dirt Surfactants Pigments Metabolized waste

Important Things To Remember

Foam Control is generally physical, not chemical Foam Control works because it is not similar to the foaming media Defoamers/antifoams must be somewhat insoluble in the foaming media

Surfactant Chemistry
Surfactants are a chemical entity consisting of a hydrophillic (water-loving) and hydrophobic (water insoluble) tail

Foam Origins
A gas is entrained into the media
Mechanical
Mixers inducting air Pump cavitation

Chemical
Reaction produces a gas

Bubble Physics
Ability of entrained air to escape depends upon Stokes Law.
V = r2/
V= r= = Rate of rise Radius of bubble Viscosity of media

Foam Formation
Once a bubble is formed, it begins to rise to the surface As it rises, surfactants are trapped between the surface of the media and the surface of the bubble

Foam Stabilization
As the bubble rises it comes in close proximity to the surface of the media A liquid lamella forms between the surface of the bubble and the media surface The surfactants begin to orient themselves to the lowest thermodynamically stable state

Surfactant Orientation & Result

The hydrophillic end of the surfactant extends into the liquid lamella The hydrophobic end resides at the surface of the media and the surface of the media

Stable Foam
The interaction of the charges associated with the hydrophillic heads result in a force towards the surface of the media and the surface of the bubble Atmospheric pressure exerted on the media surface results in a force pushing in towards the media Gas pressure from within the bubble exerts a force towards the media Result is stable foam that can and will shut down most major equipment

Defoamer Vs. Antifoam

Defoamer is a term usually associated with a non-silicone foam control agent Antifoam is usually associated with a silicone or silicone emulsion Any foam control agent added to a pre-existing foam works as a defoamer Any foam control agent added before the formation of foam to help prevent it is an antifoam

Defoamer Method Of Action

A defoamer is added to a foaming system and quickly spreads to a monolayer across the surface Due to the rapid spreading, the underlying liquid is pulled in the direction of the spreading

Foam Control Begins

As the underlying liquid is pulled apart by the spreading of the defoamer, the outer lamellar wall begins to thin until it finally breaks and a hole develops in the wall The defoamer then spills thru the hole into the liquid lamella and quickly begins to spread across the inner lamella wall

Foam Destabilization
As the defoamer spills into the lamella, the particulate in the defoamer attaches to the outer wall which prevents the wall from reforming due to elasticity This repeats as the inner wall is broken

Bubble Rupture
As the particulate attaches to the inner wall, the lamellar fluid is expelled due the surface charge associated with the particulate The lamlla quickly drains and thins until the the inner and outer walls are all that is left The two walls pull away from the particulate and the gas is released

Factors Required For Defoaming

The liquid phase of the defoamer must have a degree of incompatability with the media into which it is dosed The liquid must have a rapid spreading coefficient so that it spreads across the media The hydrophobic particle works on a semispecific contact angle, so it must be the correct size and shape

Defoamer Chemistry

Defoamers consist of three main components

Liquid vehicle Emulsifier/spreading agent Hydrophobic particle

Building Foam Control Products

The Vehicle

Does the bulk of the work Requirements

Must be a liquid Must have a high spreading rate coefficient Must have some degree of incompatibility with the media

Building Foam Control Products

The Vehicle

Can be
Silicone/organosilicone oil Vegetable oil or some derivation thereof Synthetic polymer or ester thereof Mineral oil/white oil
Aliphatic (paraffinic) Naphthenic Aromatic (mineral seal oil) LOPS

Building Foam Control Products

The Vehicle

Hydrophobic character
Silicone/organo silicone oil Vegetable oil or some derivation thereof Synthetic polymer or ester thereof Mineral oil/white oil

Hydrophobicity

Building Foam Control Products

The Emulsifier/Spreading Agent Chemical entities
Silicone/organo surfactants Ethoxylates Fatty esters Alcohols

Building Foam Control Products

The Activator/Hydrophobic Particle Chemical entities
Fatty amides Fatty esters Fatty alcohols Fatty acids Metal stearates Silica Urea compounds

Foam Control Technology