In processes such as sulfuric acid production, titanium dioxide acid digestion, wet-process phosphoric acid extraction and metal pickling, foaming remains an invisible threat to production efficiency and equipment safety. Large amounts of foam not only cause material overflow and acid mist, but also slow down reaction rates and can even lead to pump cavitation and pipeline blockage. Conventional general-purpose defoamers often cannot stay effective in strongly acidic, high-temperature, high-shear environments, while frequent top-ups add cost and operational burden.
Addressing the special nature of sulfuric acid systems, the Chemi Tech team has developed a series of highly acid-resistant, highly dispersible specialty defoamers. With a composite structure of polyether-modified siloxane and special fatty acid esters, the products maintain stable foam-breaking and foam-suppressing performance in sulfuric acid media at pH 0.5-3 and temperatures of 80-120 degrees Celsius. At a dosage of only 0.01%-0.05% of the total material, they can reduce foam layer thickness by more than 80% without introducing impurities that affect downstream processes.
The specific application plan has three steps: first, determine the optimal defoamer model and initial dosage through simulation tests in the Chemi Tech laboratory, based on parameters such as on-site acid concentration, temperature and stirring intensity. Second, use continuous dripping or staged addition together with an online foam monitoring system to achieve precise control. Third, take samples every two weeks to evaluate the defoaming effect and fine-tune the formulation according to process fluctuations.
Case one: in the sulfuric acid concentration section of a chemical enterprise, a general defoamer was originally used at a defoaming cost of about 12 yuan per ton of product, and frequent foam overflow accelerated equipment corrosion. After switching to the Chemi Tech CS-208 defoamer, the dosage dropped from 0.08% to 0.03% and the defoaming cost fell to 4.5 yuan per ton, while the foam layer height dropped from 15 cm to within 2 cm, production cycles were extended by 30%, and the equipment maintenance interval was extended from half a year to more than a year.
Case two: in the acid digestion process of a titanium dioxide plant, foam entrainment caused severe acid mist escape and a harsh operating environment. After using the Chemi Tech CS-306 defoamer, acid mist concentration dropped by 65%, the frequency of operator inspections was halved, and product whiteness was unaffected. The plant used the product continuously for two years without pipeline blockage or side reactions caused by the defoamer.
Chemi Tech also provides technical support, including on-site diagnosis, bench-scale comparison, pilot verification and long-term operation and maintenance. All defoamers are produced through standardized processes with high batch-to-batch consistency. For further information, please contact our engineers to obtain a solution tailored to your needs.