Bluestar expands foam control products

Bluestar Silicones has expanded its foam control additives to target the issue of temperature and pH levels.

Silicolpase brand control products are water soluble additives that effectively control foam at concentrations as low as 10 ppm solids, at elevated temperatures and under pressure.

They also are effective at different pH levels and alkaline conditions, said the firm.

The foam control additives are available locally, and will be manufactured in South Carolina, USA.

Foam problem

Bluestar said foam can be a problem as it can lead to less productivity, loss of product or plant efficiency, product defects: voids in inks, paints and coating, adhesion loss, spots in textile, safety hazards: and liquid levels misreadings.

It works by the silicone antifoam droplet penetrating a bubble wall, and spreading on the liquid-gas interface causing the bubble wall to become unstable and collapse.

Bluestar said the products are available in a range of dilutions to meet food the customer-specific anti-foaming needs of the food industry.

Grade designs

Silocolapse 623 and 621 are designed for industrial applications, such as pulp and paper, plastics recycling, synthetic rubber processing and wastewater treatment.  

Silocolapse 723, 722, and 721 are compliant with 21 CFR 173.340 Defoaming Agents and other Indirect Food Additives sections of 21 CFR.

The firm said typical examples include rendering-edible oil manufacturing, synthesis of food additives, fermentation, and processing of seafood, potatoes, and freeze-dried products.

Bluestar added their antifoams solutions will help customers in their sustainable development policy as they can be used at very low dosage.

“We’re excited about this introduction because these new high-quality products are domestically produced and meet important performance requirements for our North American customer base,” said Roman Radekevich, market manager for Specialty Fluids for Bluestar Silicones North America.

Earlier this year the company opened a 226,000-sq-foot manufacturing facility in York, South Carolina as the home of its manufacturing and R&D in North America

Bluestar produces its range of silicone technologies at the facility, including liquid silicone rubbers (LSRs), high consistency rubbers (HCRs), room-temperature vulcanized silicones (RTVs), fluids, dispersions, release coatings, specialty fluids, resins and antifoam.