Uses of Low-foam Surfactants

Aug 16, 2021

Main features and uses
a. The spray is used above 50℃, with very little foam, strong degreasing power, acid resistance, and can meet the spray degreasing cleaning requirements under common pressure.
b. Organic polymer and non-ionic surfactant complex, excellent dynamic degreasing and detergency.
c. Excellent washing property and matching property, wetting property, and good defoaming property for soap foam during cleaning.
d. No obvious irritation.
e. Excellent hard water resistance, suitable for a wide range of pH values.
f. When combined with conventional additives, it becomes a high-quality degreasing agent and cleaning agent.

Generally used in non-foaming or low-foaming industrial detergents, such as metal cleaners, metal degreasers, plastic cleaners, etc. The most common typical uses are spray cleaners, spray degreasers, high-pressure water rinse additives, and ultrasonic cleaners. Wait.

The special type of isomeric alcohol ether is a new, low-foam, high-efficiency and environmentally friendly non-ionic surfactant with 98% biodegradability. Good compatibility with various surfactants, additives, additives, solvents, acid and alkali resistance, and oxidation resistance.Product features:It has excellent emulsification and dispersion effects and good lubricity. It has excellent permeability and alkali resistance. It has excellent washing and decontamination capabilities. Especially for mechanical grease, anti-rust oil, vegetable oil and other kinds of dirt, it has an excellent washing effect. Very low foam, which is an ultra-low foam surfactant, so there is no problem of silicon spots.Non-toxic, non-irritating, no peculiar smell, non-flammable and explosive, safe to use.

When the surfactant is mixed with water, the hydrophilic end will dissolve in the water, and the hydrophobic end will detach from the water and gather on the water surface. For surfactants on the water surface, the hydrophobic group will leave the water surface and enter the air, and the hydrophilic group will dissolve in water and be discharged on the water surface. When the water is stirred, air will enter the water. At this time, the hydrophobic base will enclose the air and become a vapor bubble. Generally speaking, anionic and cationic surfactants have the highest foam, while nonionic surfactants have relatively low foam.

In most processes, foam brings negative effects, that is, the low-foaming and non-foaming surfactants we are pursuing. But in some fields, the opposite is true, such as daily chemicals, shower gel, facial cleanser, etc. The pursuit is more foam and fine foam; another example is the flotation deinking in the field of papermaking deinking, which also requires good surfactants. The foaming performance.

When discussing low-foaming surfactants, you must first explain the conditions and processes of use. In addition to its own structure, the foam of surfactants is also related to water hardness, use temperature, acid-base pH, pressure, etc.
1. Soap
When soap is used in hard water, it can be called a low-foaming surfactant. Sometimes soap can be used to test and distinguish soft water from hard water, soft water with more foam and hard water with less foam. The main reason is that in hard water, soap will combine with calcium and magnesium ions to form water-insoluble calcium soap or magnesium soap, which easily forms gaps on the surface of the foam, causing the foam to burst.
2. Polyoxyethylene ether with EO/PO block of fatty alcohol
As we all know, fatty alcohol and EO (ethylene oxide) condensation addition, namely AEO series, the introduction of hydrophilic EO groups, will obtain excellent wetting, emulsification, cleaning and high foam performance. While PO propylene oxide is a hydrophobic group, the introduction of propylene oxide can effectively reduce the surface tension of the formed foam surface, causing the foam to burst and disappear. However, the introduction of PO inevitably reduces the content of EO, thereby reducing the decontamination performance of surfactants such as emulsification and dispersion. Therefore, for EOPO block polyether, its emulsification, dispersion and other cleaning functions and low foam must be contradictory. The lower the foam, the worse other properties will be.
3. Fatty acid methyl ester ethoxylates and their derivatives
Fatty acid methyl esters, especially 18-carbon methyl stearate, are also a defoaming agent. Therefore, surfactants using 18-carbon methyl stearate as the raw material will also have low-foaming properties. The low-foaming performance is not like EOPO block polyether at the expense of its cleaning performance, so it is a low-foaming detergent with practical application value.
4. Fatty alcohol ethers and their derivatives with low carbon chain
Low-carbon chain fatty alcohols have a certain defoaming function. Therefore, surfactants using low-carbon chain fatty alcohols as raw materials also have low foam characteristics. The most common ones are isooctanol polyoxyethylene ether and iso-octanol polyoxyethylene ether. Both octanol phosphate and isooctyl ether phosphate have low foam characteristics. However, fatty alcohol derivatives with low carbon chains often only have permeability, and other properties are poor, which limits their scope of application.