Deepen the defoaming field, assist in efficient production, and provide one-stop foam solutions
Use a silicone-based defoamer to address the foaming issue in windshield washer fluid.
Release Date:
2021-04-20
Use Silicone defoamer Solving the foaming issue with windshield washer fluid
With the growing number of passenger cars, most households now own a vehicle, and traffic congestion has become commonplace in major cities. Especially during rush hour, you’ll notice heavy traffic, which is driving up demand for automotive windshield washer fluid—and consequently, manufacturers are producing larger quantities. However, during the production process, manufacturers almost invariably encounter foaming issues; once foam forms, it can compromise product quality, bringing it below standard levels. To address this, we recommend using a silicone‑based defoamer to eliminate foam.
Automotive windshield washer fluid can generally be categorized into solid and liquid types. Solid washer fluid is typically used in temperatures above 0°C, but automotive washer fluids also come in antifreeze and high‑performance antifreeze formulations for both summer and winter conditions.
1. Summer-grade automotive windshield washer fluid, formulated with shellac, can quickly remove insect residue from the windshield.
2. For antifreeze windshield washer fluid used in winter, when the ambient temperature drops below –20°C, it ensures that vehicle components will not freeze or become immobilized.
3. For antifreeze formulations with special performance characteristics, ensure they remain unfrozen at -40°C, making them suitable for use in the coldest regions of northern China.
This demonstrates that windshield washer fluid plays a crucial role in vehicles. But do you understand why it foams during production? The underlying principle is quite simple: foam formation arises primarily from the directional adsorption of surfactants, which occurs as a result of reduced surface tension at the gas–liquid interface. Although foaming can be a significant issue, there’s no need to worry—organic silicone defoamers can effectively eliminate it. 
Faced with such a challenging foaming issue, they ultimately turned to the internet for a solution. After numerous comparisons, and by gaining a thorough understanding of the relevant parameters, the technicians arrived at the following analysis of the causes of coating foaming:
1. Direct exposure of exterior wall coatings to sunlight can cause the surface layer to heat up and blister.
2. The wood has a high moisture content, making it impossible to remove the rosin and essential oils it contains. As a result, the treatment is ineffective, and natural evaporation readily generates foam.
3. Surface coating should be completed before the oil-based or water-based putty has fully dried, or before the primer has dried.
4. After drying, industrial defoamers in latex paint can quickly be exposed to dew, humidity, or rain, especially when the surface has not been adequately pre-treated.
To address the foaming issue in coatings, it has been found that silicone‑based defoamers can effectively suppress foam during the production of waterborne latex paints, particularly in styrene–acrylic, vinyl acetate, and pure acrylic emulsions.
To address the foaming issue in automotive windshield washer fluid, a high-performance silicone defoamer has been developed. When added to transparent formulations, it does not compromise the oil’s appearance, does not cause oil floating or emulsion breakdown, and leaves no wall‑hanging residue, thus having no adverse effects on downstream processing.
1. Silicone-based defoamers exhibit exceptionally strong defoaming performance, delivering excellent results even in demanding applications. This is attributable to their low dosage requirements, rapid defoaming action, excellent stability, broad compatibility, and environmentally friendly, non‑polluting nature. They are widely used in water treatment, circulating water systems, industrial cleaning, and other similar processes.
2. Compared with silicone-based defoamers, non‑silicone defoamers exhibit inferior defoaming performance, necessitating higher dosages to achieve satisfactory results. Nevertheless, non‑silicone defoamers possess distinct advantages: for instance, they offer excellent oil solubility, making them well suited for oily systems without compromising the gas‑solubility of the oil. They are commonly employed in the paper industry and in applications where silicone‑based defoamers are unsuitable.