Antifoams / Defoamers

Goldschmidt Industrial Specialties offers a broad range of defoamers and antifoams in different commercial grades:

• Antifoam concentrates
• Emulsion concentrates
• Ready to use diluted emulsions

which almost completely covers the various needs of the textile industry.

Our antifoams are suitable for pre-defoaming of surfactant concentrates as well as for on line addition in water-containing systems. Depending on the specific requirements of the base materials, our antifoams are carefully selected from our entire product range and different chemistries. We can also modify existing chemistries to meet specific requirements and conditions.

Base materials for our antifoams

• Organic oils
• Silicone oils
• Organomodified siloxanes
• Different hydrophobic solids

Goldschmidt Industrial Specialties Antifoams/Defoamers

• TEGO^® Antifoam-range

Antifoam classes are characterised by certain properties.
Organic antifoams have a higher surface tension (> 30 mN/m), making them less efficient than silicone antifoams. On the other hand, organic antifoams have the advantage of high compatibility with surfactant systems and have almost no impact on subsequent treatments. Therefore, these products can be used without hesitation.

Silicone oil based antifoams are characterized by a very high efficiency due to their low surface tension (approx. 21 mN/m). However, they cannot be used in most critical applications since unmodified silicone oil is hydrophobic and oleophobic at the same time. Due to their high incompatibility, silicone oils can cause problems during application, e. g. silicone spotting.

Antifoams based on organomodified siloxanes combine the high stability of organic antifoams with the high efficiency of silicone antifoams. Organomodified siloxanes are based, like silicone oils, on a siloxane backbone which ensures the low surface tension needed for a high defoaming efficiency. Additionally, their molecule contains organic side chains, which are not present in the silicone oils and which are essentially modifying the physical and chemical behaviour of the siloxane. The compatibility of organomodified siloxanes is considerably improved versus silicone oils. Herewith, the OMS structure combines the defoaming efficiency of silicone oils with the compatibility of organics.

By careful selection of the organic substituents, it is possible to adjust antifoams based on organomodified siloxanes to perfectly meet specific performance requirements.

The improved compatibility of organomodified siloxane-based defoamers is crucial for textile applications, since the silicone spotting issue is widely avoided or even completely eliminated. Although all three antifoam classes are available from Goldschmidt Industrial Specialties, our main focus is on products based on organomodified siloxanes and organic compounds. Within organic based defoamers, we also offer totally Si-free antifoams which do not contain silicone oils, organomodified siloxanes or silica. Goldschmidt Industrial Specialties has developed special defoamer grades for use in highly alkaline formulations and at elevated temperatures like during jet dyeing (TEGO^® Antifoam MR 1015). Other special grades are suitable for sizing (TEGO^® Antifoam KE 600) or for use in electrolyte containing systems. The best pre-defoamers for surfactant concentrates are TEGO^® Antifoam 3062 and TEGO^® Antifoam 793.