Foaming and defoaming agents

Some of the major functional uses of lecithin products are as (1) emulsifiers in food emulsions, (2) solubilizing agents for various compounds in aqueous systems, (3) sol dispersing agents, and (4) foaming and defoaming agents. 

Surfactants are of great importance as auxiliaries for the production and processing of crude oil and gas (emulsifiers, agents for foaming and defoaming, lubricants, bactericides, corrosion inhibitors, de-emulsifiers, etc.). In particular, tertiary oil production represents a broad field for such applications. 

Defoamers. Foam is a common problem in papermaking systems (27). It is caused by surface-active agents which are present in the pulp slurry or in the chemical additives. In addition, partially hydrophobic soHd materials can function as foam stabilizers. Foam can exist as surface foam or as a combination of surface foam and entrained air bubbles. Surface foam usually can be removed by water or steam showers and causes few problems. Entrained air bubbles, however, can slow drainage of the stock and hence reduce machine speed. Another serious effect is the formation of translucent circular spots in the finished sheet caused by permanently entrained air. 

Boiler water foaming and frothing is undesirable because it contributes to overheating, carryover, and loss of operational control. As a result, antifoam and defoamer products are commonly employed in BW treatment programs. The same active ingredients are also widely used in all types of industrial processes (industrial grades), as well as in cosmetic, food, potable water, and kosher applications (all agents typically are odorless, colorless, and tasteless). 

Foam cement is a special class of lightweight cement. The gas content of foamed cement can be up to 75% by volume. The stability of the foam is achieved by the addition of surfactants, as shown in Table 10-9. A typical foamed cement composition is made from a hydraulic cement, an aqueous rubber latex in an amount up to 45% by weight of the hydraulic cement, a latex stabilizer, a defoaming agent, a gas, a foaming agent, and a foam stabilizer [359,362]. Foamed high-temperature applications are based on calcium phosphate cement [257]. 

Industrially, silicone surfactants are used in a variety of processes including foam, textile, concrete and thermoplastic production, and applications include use as foam stabilisers, defoamers, emulsifiers, dispersants, wetters, adhesives, lubricants and release agents [1]. The ability of silicone surfactants to also function in organic media creates a unique niche for their use, such as in polyurethane foam manufacture and as additives to paints and oil-based formulations, whilst the ability to lower surface tension in aqueous solutions provides useful superwetting properties. The low biological risk associated with these compounds has also led to their use in cosmetics and personal care products [2]. 

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