Top 5 Industries That Rely on Defoamers: A Comprehensive Application Guide

In industrial manufacturing, foam is often seen as a minor nuisance, but for process engineers, it represents a costly problem. Excessive foam can reduce equipment capacity, cause overflows, and impair product quality. Driven by both cost and environmental concerns, the demand for environmentally friendly, high-efficiency defoamers is expected to surge to unprecedented levels by 2025.

The Top 5 Industries for Defoamer Applications

1.Pulp and Paper Industry

The paper mill environment is highly prone to foaming due to the presence of lignin, rosin, and chemical additives. Whether in the black liquor washing process or in the headbox of the paper machine, foam can cause spotting on the paper and reduce its strength.

Recommended Solutions: [Fatty alcohol defoamers] and [Silicone-based emulsions]

Link:[Bubble Formation Mechanism in Paper Mills]

2. Wastewater Treatment

With global investment in sludge treatment reaching a record high in 2025, foam control in aeration tanks and bioreactors is crucial. Foam hinders oxygen transfer and can lead to dangerous overflows.

Guanru Advantage: Our【Wastewater Treatment Defoamer】 Treatment Defoamer is designed to instantly eliminate foam and provide long-lasting inhibition without harming microbial activity.

3. Coatings, Paints, and Inks

Microfoam is the enemy in the high-speed grinding and mixing processes of water-based coatings, causing pinholes and pits (fisheyes).

Please check out our 【Coatings and Inks Defoamers 】for superior defoaming to reduce costs and increase efficiency.

4. Oil and Gas

Stable foam can cause pump cavitation during drilling mud and oil-gas separation, resulting in lost production time.

Performance: Our High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) defoamer ensures stable operation in harsh oilfield environments.

5. Dry strength agent

It is a key additive to improve the "dry durability" of paper. It can effectively compensate for the strength loss caused by raw material degradation without changing other properties of the paper.

Selection Guide: How to Choose the Right Defoamer?

Choosing a defoamer is not just about "killing bubbles"—it’s about system compatibility. In 2026, the trend is moving toward:

Sustainability: Preferring biodegradable and bio-based formulations.

Efficiency: Lower dosage for higher impact.

Stability: Resilience against extreme pH and temperature.