Defoamer

An anti-foaming agent is an additive which is intended to reduce or prevent undesirable foaming during the machining or packaging of liquids with low surface tension.

The term anti-foaming agent is applied in addition to the petrochemical industry as a euphemism for the conventional polysiloxane there almost exclusively in food technology. More generally one speaks of defoamers.

In the food industry, they are intended to prevent a food additive, the formation of foam. For example:

• Mono - and diglycerides of fatty acids ( E 471 ) ( MDG)
• Polydimethylsiloxane ( E 900 ) (see also simethicone )
• Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids ( E 475 )
• Thermally oxidised soya bean oil, with MDG esterified ( E 479b )

Also in chemical reactions it may be necessary to prevent the formation of foam. One for the used foaming agent is 2 -octanol.

As an additive for lubricants prevent the emergence of anti-foaming froth surface by swirling the lubricant with air in engines or transmissions.