Powder Antifoaming Agent via Spray Drying Encapsulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Silicone-based emulsion antifoaming agents are sensitive to temperature changes, leading to composition gradation, separation, and putrefaction, making them unsuitable for long-term storage, and powder antifoaming agents with oil-absorbing porous powders have inferior water dispersibility and rapid action, limiting their use in industries like food processing.
Innovation Solution
A powder antifoaming agent is prepared by dispersing hydrophobic organopolysiloxane and finely divided silica in water with a surfactant and a water-soluble encapsulant, then spray drying to create a stable powder form that maintains rapid action and water dispersibility, suitable for long-term storage and use in food industries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If emulsion antifoaming agents are used, then water dispersibility and rapid action are improved, but storage stability deteriorates due to temperature sensitivity causing separation and putrefaction
Solution Approach 1:
The antifoaming agent is divided into discrete powder particles instead of remaining as a continuous emulsion. Each particle contains encapsulated silicone oil and surfactant, allowing individual particles to disperse rapidly while the powder form prevents temperature-induced separation and putrefaction during storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state from liquid emulsion to solid powder form. This parameter change eliminates the temperature sensitivity issues of emulsions while maintaining water dispersibility through the powder particle structure and encapsulation mechanism.
2Stability of the object's composition
If powder antifoaming agents with porous powder are used, then storage stability is improved, but water dispersibility and rapid action deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
A water-soluble encapsulant acts as an intermediary between the hydrophobic silicone oil and the aqueous environment. The encapsulant forms a shell around the oil droplets, enabling water dispersibility without requiring porous powder carriers, thus achieving both rapid action and storage stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The antifoaming agent combines multiple components (silicone oil, surfactant, water-soluble encapsulant) into a composite powder structure. This composite material achieves water dispersibility through the soluble encapsulant while maintaining storage stability through the powder form, eliminating the need for porous carriers like silica or aluminum oxide.
3Stability of the object's composition
If powder antifoaming agents with porous powder are used, then storage stability is improved, but residual powder remains noticeable and limits use in food industry
Solution Approach 1:
The water-soluble encapsulant serves as a mediator that enables the silicone oil to disperse in water without leaving residual porous powder. The encapsulant shell dissolves or disperses cleanly, eliminating the noticeable residual powder problem and making the agent suitable for food industry applications where additive restrictions apply.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The resulting powder antifoaming agent has excellent shelf stability, equivalent water dispersibility, and rapid action, allowing its use in various industries, including food processing, without separation or putrefaction issues.
Implementation Method 1
spray drying the water dispersion
Implementation Method 2
dispersing the silicone oil compound and component (D) in water in the presence of component (C)
Implementation Method 3
the silicone oil compound being encapsulated in a shell of component (D)
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a powder antifoaming agent containing: (A) a hydrophobic organopolysiloxane that has a viscosity at 25° C. of 10-100,000 mm2/s; (B) a fine silica powder; (C) a surfactant; and (D) a water-soluble encapsulating agent that is in a solid state at 25° C. This powder antifoaming agent is characterized by being obtained by spray drying a dispersion liquid that is obtained by dispersing a silicone oil compound, which is obtained by mixing the component (A) and the component (B), and the component (D) in water in the presence of the component (C), and is also characterized in that the silicone oil compound is encapsulated by the component (D) that serves as an outer shell. Since the present powder antifoaming agent does not contain water by being produced by a spray drying method, the powder antifoaming agent is free from problems of emulsion antifoaming agents such as separation and putrefaction.