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Defoamers: linking fundamentals to formulations
Author(s) -
Pelton Robert,
Flaherty Ted
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
polymer international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.592
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1097-0126
pISSN - 0959-8103
DOI - 10.1002/pi.1203
Subject(s) - defoamer , particle (ecology) , materials science , nanotechnology , chemistry , process engineering , engineering , dispersant , physics , oceanography , optics , geology , dispersion (optics)
Antifoam (defoamer) chemicals are a crucial part of many industrial processes. Reviewed are the types of defoamers and their mode of operation. Emphasized are the properties and location of the hydrophobic particles which are the active foam breaking agents. The roles of surfactants in spreading, defoamer emulsification and hydrophobic particle orientation are also discussed. Finally, a simple model is described which simulates foam growth as functions of defoamer concentration, air hold‐up, reactor volume and air flow rate. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry