Preparation and performance evaluation of CNF‐enhanced polyether‐modified polysiloxane defoamer

Abstract In this article, polyether‐modified polysiloxanes were synthesized by the reaction of poly(methyl hydrogen siloxane) (PMHS) with Allyl alcohol polyether B‐400. FT‐IR, laser particle size analysis, hydrophilic–lipophilic balance (HLB) value test, and surface tension measurements were used to characterize its structures and properties. The results show that the control law for the HLB value of polyether‐modified polysiloxanes was obtained as follow: the HLB value increases with increasing hydrogen content of PMHS. When the polyether‐modified polysiloxanes were used to emulsify the polysiloxane, at the HLB value of 10.5, the average particle size of the emulsion was about 0.23 μm with a narrow particle size distribution. The emulsion has good emulsifying and dispersing properties, as well as excellent foam elimination and foam inhibition performance. When the cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) was used as a protective agent for the preparing of the polysiloxane defoamer, the stability of the emulsion does not affect, but its foam elimination and foam inhibition of emulsion can be further improved at the presence of CNF. The lowest surface tension of CNF‐enhanced polyether‐modified polysiloxane defoamer is about 22.4 mN m −1 , which has good surface property. When the concentration of CNF‐enhanced polyether‐modified polysiloxane defoamer was 0.1 g L −1 , the foam elimination time and foam inhibition time were 5.8 s and 38 min, respectively, at the temperature (80°C) and alkali environment (pH 13).