Semi-synthetic Metal Cutting Fluid Foam Problem Solving
Foam has always been a problem for those involved in all aspects of metalworking, and solving it is a task that occupies a large portion of the time of technology developers and service technicians. With the current line of semi-synthetic metalworking fluids, everyone is looking for ways to mitigate the effects of foam.
From the formulation point of view of metal cutting fluid
Fully synthetic products
In general, fully synthetic products are formulated with oil-free systems, almost no emulsifiers, and special water-based polyethers, so air release and foam properties are better and foam problems are less common.
When foam problems occur, they are mostly related to the field application, and the root cause needs to be consulted with our technical service engineers.
Semi-synthetic products
Nowadays, semi-synthetic products have the widest market applications and are designed to process the most areas, the foam problem still needs to be formulated according to the application, not just one product can cover any application.
Semi-synthetic products have to shoulder cooling, lubrication, cleaning, metal protection and other multi-faceted functions, but also to meet the customer's environmental protection, operation friendly, low consumption and long life requirements. In order to meet the needs of our customers, we need to consider the balance between the various properties of the product when designing the formulation to meet the needs of most customers as much as possible.
Usually, the defoaming of semi-synthetic cutting fluids depends on the defoamer and the hardness of the water (calcium and magnesium ions in the water). Traditional defoamers are time-sensitive, so the hardness of the water plays a decisive role in the foam performance.
*For customers with hard water: the hardness of the cutting fluid is very high, but seldom worry about the foam problem;
*For customers with soft water: the hardness of the cutting fluid is low, and they may worry about the foam problem.
Therefore, how to choose products or design products according to the customer's working conditions, water quality is a very important step, so according to the process conditions, recommend the right product can solve the customer's foam problem.
In addition, there are some special applications where the foam requirements are very strict, such as: 70 Bar high pressure processing, traditional product foam is difficult to meet. Therefore, for high injection pressure metal processing, the solution to this application requires a corresponding formulation platform to meet the foam requirements.
The use of defoamer often requires a combination of site conditions, plant constraints and cutting fluid products in order to select the most appropriate defoamer chemical additive.
As an "important member" of metal processing, cutting fluid is crucial. While cutting fluid manufacturers are innovating and upgrading their products, metal processing companies should also ensure the full realization of the cutting fluid's performance, thus saving energy consumption of equipment, extending equipment life, improving energy efficiency, and helping companies to successfully enter the Industry 4.0 era.
Defoamer product recommendation:
Ritchey Antifoam Agent AF1820
Defoamer Product Characteristics:
This product is block polymerized siloxane with special technology.
● Strong foam inhibition, low dosage, does not affect the various technical parameters of the system.
● High temperature resistance, wide range of application.
It is suitable for defoaming of various surfactant systems (anionic, cationic, nonionic, amphoteric and compounding).
It can be added directly with the flow of the original liquid in the use system, and can also be added with the spray of the diluted liquid after the foam has risen.
Appearance: Milky white oily liquid
pH value: 6±2
Use temperature: 0～130°C
Active substance content: ≥100℅
(Note: The above data is for reference only, not for the development of technical standards.)
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