Storage tanks and pipelines in a plant area
Water-based resin and emulsion polymerisation are held under heat and stirring through the high-temperature stage; if the foam cannot be suppressed continuously, the kettle level rises with it, heat transfer of the reaction is blocked, and both the finished particle size and the clarity suffer.
Chemi Tech supplies defoamers for water-based resin synthesis and emulsion polymerisation systems, drawn from the defoamer KM-4110 series; the dosage is set by the reaction temperature, the stirring intensity and the formulation. KM-4110 is of the modified polyether type, heat resistant with lasting suppression, and fits applications at high temperature where lasting suppression is required. Chemi Tech runs suppression comparisons against reaction temperature and stirring intensity, and sets the fitted model for the customer accordingly.
Advantages of Chemi Tech Defoamers
Chemi Tech defoamer KM-4110 series is heat resistant, and the suppression action does not decay through the high-temperature stage; and the suppression lasts, so no foam rises again through the whole reaction; moreover, foam breaking and foam suppression are balanced, and the kettle level stays steady; in addition, it is compatible with emulsion systems, does not separate out and does not turn cloudy, and the finished particle size and clarity are not affected.
Industry Pain Points and Solutions
Foam in water-based resin synthesis is mostly not a matter of insufficient stirring, but of a foaming tendency strengthened by high temperature; the consequence is a raised kettle level and blocked heat transfer of the reaction.
The first problem to surface lies in suppression failing at the high-temperature stage. As the temperature rises the action of an ordinary defoamer falls off, the foam pushes out again, and heat transfer of the reaction is blocked. Chemi Tech's answer is to add the heat-resistant KM-4110 before the kettle is heated up, so that the agent keeps suppressing through the high-temperature stage.
Next comes insufficient suppression time. Some defoamers only break the foam briefly, the foam rises again in the later part of the reaction, and the level goes up once more. KM-4110 from Chemi Tech is of the modified polyether type with lasting suppression, and a single dose covers the whole reaction cycle.
The last issue lies in interference with the emulsion. If the defoamer is not compatible with the emulsion system, it separates out and turns cloudy after breaking the foam, and the finished particle size and clarity suffer. Chemi Tech checks suppression performance against reaction temperature and stirring intensity, and sets the dosing point of the lasting KM-4110 before the heat-up, so that the level stays steady through the whole reaction.
Typical Operating Conditions and Verification
Customer: a water-based resin producer in Jiangsu, for high-temperature defoaming in emulsion polymerisation.
At this plant, foam pushed out after the emulsion polymerisation was heated, the kettle level rose, heat transfer of the reaction was blocked, and the finished particles came out coarse. The solution Chemi Tech defoamer gave for the situation was: taking reaction temperature and stirring intensity into account, choose the KM-4110 series, move the dosing point to the feed stage before heat-up, and grade the dosage by temperature. After the solution was in place, the kettle level fell back into the normal range, heat transfer returned to normal, and the finished particle size and clarity improved with it.
Frequently Asked Questions
If the defoamer is added at the high-temperature stage, will it fail as the temperature rises?
There is such a risk, since a small number of categories see their suppression action decay at high temperature. KM-4110 is of the modified polyether type and heat resistant, and Chemi Tech has checked its suppression performance against reaction temperature. The dosage is set by reaction temperature and stirring intensity, and Chemi Tech gives its fitted recommendation after a high-temperature suppression comparison.