In the decorative paints industry, excess of foam may cause an increase in production time, causing problems during the packing and deficiencies in the final appearance of the coating. For this reason, it is essential to use a defoaming agent that allows optimal control of foam during production stages and keeps its properties during storage.

In the case of high-end paints and coatings, it is essential to use high quality antifoams to minimize the formation of surface defects and loss of color. For this application, CONCENTROL has specifically developed antifoam EMULTROL DFM OLM-20.

EMULTROL DFM OLM-20 is formulated with high purity white mineral oils which, unlike conventional mineral oils, have a neutral color and smell. This prevents the yellowing of the paint and the generation of odors.

Image.  White mineral oil-based antifoams (left) and mineral oil-based antifoams (right).

For the evaluation of the properties of these antifoams, CONCENTROL laboratories have conducted tests on efficiency, stability and compatibility based on acrylic and vinyl-veova paints.

To determine the antifoams’ effectiveness, a sample of 200 ml of painting is taken, then  0.2% of antifoam is added and stirred at 1300 rpm for 5 minutes. Then the percentage of air in the mixture is calculated through the measurement of changes in density.

To determine the stability of the antifoam, a sample of paint with 0.2% of defoamer is  stored at 45ºC for a week. Subsequently, the test of antifoam effectiveness is repeated.

For the study of the antifoam’s compatibility, we conducted a visual evaluation of a 120m thick layer of paint applied to a glass plate. We found that Concentrol’s antifoam did not cause coating defects such as “fish eyes” or craters.

Figure 1. Results of the antifoam EMULTROL DFM OLM-20 efectiveness  in various decorative paintings.

Figure 2. Compatibility of EMULTROL DFM OLM-20 antifoam

The results show that EMULTROL DFM OLM-20 has a great effectiveness on the tested paints, whose properties remain stable over time. Moreover, it does not cause any irregularity or defect in the final coating.

In conclusion, EMULTROL DFM OLM-20 is a high quality white mineral oil-based antifoam suitable for high-end paints and coatings with high performance and excellent stability.