Types of Anti Foaming Agents Discussed

Foams, created by air trapped in the liquid or solid, are a very common sight in our everyday life and we don’t really think about it too much. But when it occurs in the industrial processes it becomes a cause of concern. Foams in industrial surroundings is a very undesirable phenomenon as it increases the production time, reduces efficiency, reduces the production volume and subsequently increases the production cost.

Anti-foaming agents or defoamers are the saviour here. A defoamer is a chemical add-on that lessens and deters the development of foam in the business process liquids. A defoamer is inexplicable in the foaming intermediate and has surface active properties; it has a low viscosity and can spread rapidly on foamy surfaces. Defoamers have affinity to the air-liquid surface where it undermines the foam lamellas, this cause rupture of the air bubbles and breaks down the surface foams

Defoamers available currently in the market have a wide range of variety to choose from.

Oil based defoamers

These types of defoamers have an oil based carrier. This oil could be mineral oil, vegetable oil, white oil or any other type of oil that isn’t soluble in the foaming medium except silicon oil. Oil based defoamers also contains wax and/or hydrophobic silica to boost its performance. These defoamers also have surfactants to improve emulsification and spreading in the foaming medium. Oil based defoamers are heavy duty defoamers and they are most useful in knocking down surface foams.

Silicon based defoamers

Silicon based defoamers contain polymer with silicon backbones. These defoamers could be brought as oil or fluid-based emulsion. The silicon composite here contains hydrophobic silica diffused in silicon oil. Emulsifiers are added here to ensure that the silicon advances fast and well in the foaming medium. This is also a heavy duty defoamer and is very useful in knocking down surface foam and releasing entrained air. These defoamers are also used in non-aqueous foaming systems.

Powder based defoamers

These are actually oil based defoamers rely on distinctive carrier like silica. These are actually put in to powder products like cement, plaster and detergents.

Water based defoamers

These sorts of defoamers are essentially different kinds of emollients and waxes spread in a water base. Here the oils are often white oils or vegetable oils and the waxes are long chain oily liquor, oily acid detergents or esters. These defoamers are best at releasing entrained air.

EO/PO based defoamers

These categories of defoamers comprises of polyethylene glycol and polypropylene glycol copolymers. They are delivered as oil or liquid based blends. These defoamers have good separating stuff and very useful when deposit problems occur.

Alkyl polyacrylates

These types of defoamers are appropriate for conditions where non-aqueous arrangements where air movement is more significant than the breaking down surface foams. These defoamers are mostly transported in solvent haulers like petroleum concentrates.

Defoamers eliminate something that can cause serious problems in manufacturing units so the contribution of defoamers cannot be ignored. If you are in the market for a particular defoamer and it is not available in your area then there are a number of Defoamer Exporters India that you can find on the internet, who will serve just according to your need.