News

Defoamers are an important component of the chemical industry. Although not well known to the general public, they play a key role in various production processes. Through this article, we will take you on a mysterious journey into the world of chemistry and unveil the mystery of defoamers.

Part I: What are defoamers?

Defoamers are chemicals whose main function is to prevent or reduce the formation of bubbles in liquids, thereby reducing the generation of foam. Foam is composed of tiny bubbles of gas in the liquid, which rise in the liquid and gather on the surface to form foam. The presence of defoamers can destroy these bubbles and make them more easily dissipated in the liquid, thereby reducing or eliminating the generation of foam. Defoamers are usually a type of surfactant. They form a molecular film on the surface of the liquid, which can destroy bubbles and prevent them from aggregating. These surfactant molecules usually have hydrophilic and hydrophobic parts, which enable them to interact with liquids and gases at the same time, thereby effectively controlling the formation of foam.

Part II: How Defoamers Work？

The working principle of defoamers can be divided into two key steps: adsorption and diffusion.

Adsorption: Defoamers first adsorb on the surface of the liquid. These molecules are arranged in a special way so that their hydrophilic parts interact with the liquid and their hydrophobic parts interact with the gas. This arrangement forms a thin film, called a molecular membrane, on the surface of the liquid. The presence of this film destroys the surface tension of the bubbles, making them easier to break.

Diffusion: Once the molecular membrane is formed, the defoamer begins to diffuse to the surface of the bubbles. They break down the structure of the bubbles by penetrating into the interior of the bubbles, breaking them up and releasing the gas. This causes the bubbles to break and dissipate quickly, reducing or eliminating the generation of foam.

The working principle of defoamers is quite complex, and they need to be adjusted under different liquid and gas conditions to achieve the best effect. This versatile property makes defoamers indispensable in various industrial and scientific applications.

Part III: Defoamers are widely used in various industries, including chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food processing, oilfield extraction, printing and coatings.

Chemical Industry: Many production processes produce a large number of bubbles and foam, which may cause equipment failure or product quality degradation. Defoamers are widely used in these processes, such as in dissolving, mixing, stirring and filtering.

Pharmaceutical Industry: The pharmaceutical industry requires strict production control to ensure the purity and stability of drugs. Defoamers can be used to control foam in the pharmaceutical manufacturing process to ensure high-quality pharmaceutical products.

Food Processing: In food processing, the presence of foam may affect food quality and taste. Therefore, defoamers are used to remove foam in food processing, such as in beer brewing, juice production, and French fry making.

Oilfield Extraction: During oilfield extraction, crude oil contains gas, which can cause pipeline blockage and equipment failure. Defoamers are used to control bubbles in crude oil to ensure smooth oilfield operations.

Printing and Coatings: In the printing and coatings industry, defoamers can be used to prevent foam in inks and coatings to ensure uniform distribution of printing and coatings.