Antifoams and defoamers

Surfactants are a fundamental ingredient in a variety of agricultural chemicals, yet their presence often leads to the formation of unwanted foam during the products’ manufacture process, packaging but most often during application.

To avoid foam from the very beginning, an antifoam can be added to the formulation. But selecting an antifoam for inclusion in the product is a delicate balance between compatibility and performance.

An antifoam that is too compatible in the formulation may quickly loose its efficacy because of its solubility in the bulk phase. To work, antifoams must be able to reach the air/water interface. If it is too soluble in the product this functionality is lost. Since individual formulations contain different actives, solvents and surfactants, universal solutions to the problem do not exist.

However, BREAK-THRU^® antifoam agents are very robust in their performance and have found application in numerous products. For example, BREAK-THRU^® AF-9903 shows both compatibility and performance in glyphosate formulations. Please contact us to discuss your specific application.