As the bubbles coalesce and collect at the air/surface interface, the bubble walls thin and break. Defoamers accelerate the process and break the smaller bubbles as well. Generally a defoamer is insoluble in the foaming medium and has surface active properties.
Simply so, what is antifoam made of?
Antifoam 204 contains 100% active components and is a mixture of organic non-silicone polypropylene based polyether dispersions. It does not contain mineral oil. Antifoam 204 can itself be considered a surfactant, but it contains no other surfactants.
One may also ask, what can I use as a defoamer?
Defoaming – Soap
If you don't have any table salt on hand, use 1 tsp. of dishwashing soap. The dishwashing soap will break down the carpet cleaning solution as it is returned to the carpet cleaning machine or shampooer. Add the teaspoon of dishwashing soap to the dirty water accumulation tank. How does a surfactant reduce the foaming problem?
A foaming agent is a material that facilitates formation offoam such as a surfactant or a blowing agent. Asurfactant, when present in small amounts, reduces surface tension of a liquid (reduces the work needed to create the foam) or increases its colloidal stability by inhibiting coalescence of bubbles.
Is a defoamer a surfactant?
Surfactant (an amphiphilic) works based on reducing the surface tension of water binding thru hydrophobic interaction and hydrophilic interaction with water, therefore pulling off things apart and surface tension is reduce cuz water surround the surfactant. Defoamer is basically a oil.