Silicone Oils

Food-grade silicone fluids in food and beverage are polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)nantifoam emulsions that collapse existing foam and suppress new foam duringnprocessing. PDMS has a very low surface tension, so it spreads at the air/liquidninterface and ruptures the thin films that hold bubbles together. It is supplied as an10-50% active emulsion and works at low addition levels, which is why a small drum coversna large production volume.

A defoamer knocks down foam that has already formed; an antifoam added up front stops itnfrom building. A silicone emulsion does both, which is its edge over organic defoamers. Thentrade-off is dose discipline: silicone is so effective that an overdose can carry into thenfinished product and flatten foam you want, such as a beer head or whipped-dessertnaeration. Dose to the minimum that controls process foam, and control the point ofnaddition.

Typical duties are foam control in fermentation, vacuum evaporation and concentration,nfrying oils, and high-speed bottling and filling. Polydimethylsiloxane is permitted as andefoaming agent under food-additive regulations (for example 21 CFR 173.340 in the UnitednStates and E900 in the EU); confirm regulatory status for your application andnjurisdiction. Match the emulsion's active level and viscosity to your process, and run ansmall trial to set the dose before scaling up.

• Foam control in fermentation u2014 brewing, distilling, and biotech feedstocks
• Defoaming in vacuum evaporation and concentration of juices, dairy, and extracts
• Foam suppression in frying oils and high-temperature processing
• Carry-over control on high-speed bottling, canning, and filling lines
• General process antifoam for CIP and food-plant wastewater streams

• Polydimethylsiloxane (dimethicone) u2014 PubChem