Silicone defoamer - "Foam Terminator" in industry
Title: High Efficiency, environmental protection, multi-scenario application - Analysis of the revolutionary value of silicone defoamer


In many industrial fields such as chemical industry, food industry and sewage treatment, the excessive production of foam often becomes the "invisible killer" that restricts production efficiency, increases costs and even affects product quality. Although traditional mineral oil or polyether defoamer can alleviate the problem, its performance limitations and environmental protection risks always exist. With its unique chemical structure and technical advantages, silicone defoamer is gradually becoming the preferred solution in the global industrial field. This paper will reveal the irreplaceability of silicone defoamer from three dimensions of performance, environmental protection and industrial application.


First, the four core advantages of silicone defoamer
Excellent defoaming and defoaming capability
The core component of silicone defoamer is polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), whose low surface tension enables it to penetrate into the foam liquid film quickly and achieve instant defoamer by destroying the stability of the foam. Compared with traditional defoamer, its foam suppression time can be extended by 3-5 times, which is especially suitable for industrial scenes of continuous production. For example, in the paper industry, adding 0.1% silicone defoamer per ton of pulp can reduce foam by more than 90%.


Wide applicability and stability
Silicone defoamer remains active regardless of high temperature (maximum tolerance 150 ° C), strong acid (pH 1-2) or high salt environment. This characteristic makes it particularly outstanding in extreme conditions such as oil exploitation and dye production. An oilfield case showed that after the use of silicone defoamer, the foam volume of drilling fluid was reduced by 75% and the drilling efficiency was increased by 20%.


Green and safe, in line with sustainable development trend
The organic silicon material itself is non-toxic and pollution-free, and the addition amount is only 1/3-1/5 of the traditional defoamer. In the field of food processing (such as beer fermentation, soy sauce brewing), it has passed FDA, GB 2760 and other authoritative certifications to ensure the safety of end products. It is estimated that a brewery with an annual output of 100,000 tons can reduce chemical waste emissions by about 12 tons per year after switching to silicone defoamer.


The economy is significant, and the comprehensive cost is lower
Although the unit price is slightly higher than that of ordinary defoamer, its high cost performance is reflected in two aspects: first, the amount of addition is small (usually 0.01%-0.1%), and the second is to reduce equipment downtime and energy waste caused by foam. The comparative data of a paint company shows that after the use of silicone defoamer, the annual comprehensive cost decreased by 18%.


Second, six industry application scenarios analysis
Sewage treatment industry
In aeration tank, sludge dewatering and other links, foam will reduce oxygen transfer efficiency and affect microbial activity. Silicone defoamer can quickly eliminate surface foam and increase COD removal rate by 15%-20%. After the use of a municipal sewage plant, the treatment capacity was increased from 50,000 tons/day to 58,000 tons/day.


Food and fermentation industry
In soy sauce brewing and dairy product processing, silicone defoamer can accurately control the gas-liquid balance during fermentation. For example, by adding 0.05% of food-grade silicone defoamer, a well-known soy sauce brand shortened the fermentation cycle by 8% and increased the amino nitrogen content by 0.2g/100mL.


Paint and ink manufacturing
Foam produced during high-speed mixing and filling can lead to coating defects. Silicone defoamer has good compatibility with resin system and will not cause shrinkage or fishiye. The experiment shows that the bubble rate of finished coatings can be reduced to less than 0.3% by adding 0.1% silicone defoamer.


Textile printing and dyeing industry
In high temperature dyeing and printing process, silicone defoamer can effectively prevent dye pool overflow and reduce color difference. After the application of a textile factory, the defective rate was reduced from 3.2% to 0.8%, saving rework costs of more than 2 million yuan per year.


Petrochemical field
In the process of oil and gas separation and refinery catalytic cracking, silicone defoamer can improve the efficiency of crude oil treatment. One field in the Middle East has shown a 30% increase in separator capacity, increasing production by about 150,000 barrels per year.


Biopharma industry
In the bioreactor such as antibiotic fermentation and vaccine culture, silicone defoamer can quickly defoamer without inhibiting the activity of bacteria. A comparative experiment of a pharmaceutical company showed that its cell culture density was 22% higher than that of traditional defoamer.


Three, the three reasons for choosing silicone defoamer
Customized services: HLB values can be adjusted according to customer process parameters (such as pH, temperature, system polarity) to provide water-soluble, oil-soluble or self-emulsifying products.


Technology enabling: Foam monitoring equipment and digital dosing solutions are provided to achieve accurate control.


Full life cycle support: from laboratory trials to industrial mass production, technical tracking services are provided throughout the process.


Conclusion: Under the dual drive of Industry 4.0 and "dual carbon" goal, silicone defoamer is promoting industry upgrading with technological innovation. Choosing it is not only choosing a product, but also choosing an efficient and clean future productivity.