A GENERAL METHOD OF SELECTING FOAM INHIBITORS

摘要

Most known foam inhibitors and antifoaming agents as found in this investigation and described in the literature are insoluble. A criterion is described here for selecting foam inhibitors from insoluble liquids that form emulsions with the foaming liquid. By determining the surface tensions of the foaming liquids and of the additive saturated with that liouid and the interfacial tension between them, spreading and entering coefficients may be calculated. High positive spreading and entering coefficients are characteristic of a liquid foam inhibitor for the specified foaming liquid. Negative spreading and entering coefficients are characteristic of liquids which will not reduce foaming. Fifty—four experimental cases are cited, for three foaming systems, to which the principle has been applied with high correlation.