Foam is produced in most common chemical processes. Some of these common processes include: food processing, chemical production, fermentation, textile, adhesive production, printing ink, paint, coating and resin, and wastewater management. Antifoam is used to prevent the production of foam during the desired process. When it comes to preventing the formation of foam, they use a substance such as antifoam or defoamer. In most cases, the terms antifoam or defoamer are used interchangeably.
Foam can be produced through mechanical agitation or through a chemically influenced mechanism such as a fermentation process. Antifoam is produced and engineered to work in special environments. Antifoams work in different environments under the influence of temperature, pH, solubility or non-solubility, pressure or selection of chemical compatibility.
Technical Characteristics
| CAS Number | 67701-29-5 |
| Other names | Defoamers |
| Chemical Formula | Silicone or glycol compounds |
| Appearance | Oily liquid |
| Molecular mass | 6800 to 30000 gr/mol |
Applications
- Drilling Mud: Drilling mud and related additives are active surface and prone to foam formation. Silicone antifoam effectively suppresses foam.
- Separation of oil and gas: Some crude oils release gas when exposed to low pressure and tend to foam. This trend can severely limit production, especially in offshore platforms where foaming problems are common. Using 1-5 ppm of silicone antifoam particles can help in maintaining maximum separator capacity and output.
- Gas Hydration: Dehydration of glycols such as di/tri/tetraethylene glycol during gas drying often results in intense foaming. This results in high glycol loss and reduced power consumption. Addition of silicone antifoam to the glycol flow eliminates foaming problems.
- Oil Distillation: Some crude oils tend to foam, which can slow down the oil distillation process. As little as 2 ppm of an antifoam can solve the problem, increasing capacity significantly.
- Asphalt processing: Silicone antifoam is very effective to prevent the formation of foam in asphalt processes. Examples include foam control in peelers in connection with propane discontinuity and foam removal in asphalt. When used in asphalt as low as 2 ppm, silicone antifoams can make a significant difference in processing, loading and transportation.
- Coking delay: Foam is usually coked during the heavy oil and asphalt process. Adding 10 ppm of a silicone antifoam dispersed in kerosene, to the cylindrical vessel or before the furnace, generally controls foaming.
Types of Antifoam:
The diversity of different environments has produced many types of antifoam that we can use for different industrial applications:
1- Silicone antifoams
This sample of anti-foam comes in both powder and liquid forms. Silicone antifoam liquid samples are used to produce industrial paints, and its powder samples are used in the textile industry.
2- Non-silicone antifoams
Non-silicone antifoams are used in the cementing of oil drilling wells.
3- Alcoholic antifoams
This type of antifoam is made on the basis of fatty acid and does not contain silicone, and their foam control is very high and has no side effects.
4- Oral antifoams
These antifoams are used to produce soft drinks and dairy products, sugar and fast foods
Mechanism of action of Antifoam
Foam formation is the result of molecules dissolving in a liquid. Solvent molecules change the surface tension of the liquid and can be seen as surface active substances (surfactants). Surfactants can be non-ionic, cationic, anionic or amphoteric. The liquid can be aqueous, non-aqueous, or both (some industrial systems contain organic solutions that require special attention). Different surfactants produce different types of foam and floor cleaning. When agitated, bubbles are formed that immediately encounter gravitational effects and drop the liquid along the bubble wall into the liquid below the bubble. A simple picture of a bubble can be described as a sphere, which has an outer wall and an inner wall.
The function of using antifoam or antifoam depends on the type of foam, i.e. whether it is macro or micro. Antifoam is preferred to eliminate macrofoam on the surface, prevent enlarging air entrapment, and rapid foam collapse in water formulations. Antifoams work by penetrating the foam layers.
Environmental impact of Antifoam
No dangerous environmental effects have been reported for these chemicals.
Safety Measures and Regulations for Handling Antifoam
It is better to use personal safety equipment, including glasses. Avoid prolonged contact with it. Prolonged contact may cause skin diseases. Wash the skin contact area. Wash your clothes after work with antifoam.
Packing
Antifoams are mainly packed in 200-kilogram barrels or 20-liter gallons.