Foam inhibition
Measurements for avoiding and inhibiting foam formation
Natural or added surfactants, e.g. wetting agents, have a side effect that is very unwelcome in many industrial sectors: the generation of foam. Low-foaming surfactants combined with foam inhibiting or defoaming agents are used to reduce foam formation and solve related product quality issues. Our instruments for foam analysis provide valuable information about foamability and foam stability.
Frequent Foaming issues to be solved
- Foam bubbles in inks, paints and lacquers
- Reduced heat transfer capacity of cooling lubricants and other liquids due to foam
- Foam in industrial cleaning and washing, e.g. dishwashers
- Increased volume and decreased speed when pumping or mixing liquids
- Poor surface quality in paper production
Measuring foamability and foam stability
To study the foaming tendency of liquids and the efficiency of defoaming agents and their working principle, the Dynamic Foam Analyzer – DFA100 is a suitable device for such applications. It generates foam from a sample in different, but highly reproducible ways while continuously measuring the foam and liquid volume.
For deeper understanding the foam formation and decay, modules for liquid content measurement and foam structure provide supplemental information which fulfills the analysis as a whole. A completive scientific approach by the Surface Rheology Module relates foamability and foam stability to physical parameters like the elastic and viscous moduli.
