Section
| HS Code | 679350 |
| Product Name | SILFOAM SC 132 Silicone Antifoam Compound–Food Grade |
| Composition | Polydimethylsiloxane fluid with food-grade hydrophobic silica |
| Appearance | Opaque white to off-white viscous liquid |
| Odor | Practically odorless |
| Viscosity 25c | 50,000 cP |
| Flash Point | >200 °C |
| Solubility In Water | Insoluble |
| Dispersibility | Disperses readily in organic and oily systems |
| Fda Compliance | Food grade; complies with FDA 21 CFR 173.340 |
As an accredited SILFOAM SC 132 Silicone Antifoam Compound–Food Grade factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | Supplied in 25 kg plastic pails and 200 kg drums, sealed with food-grade linings and labeled for product identification. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | 20′ FCL loaded with palletized drums of SILFOAM SC 132, secured and ventilated, ensuring safe food-grade transport. |
| Shipping | Ship in original, sealed containers to prevent contamination. Protect from extreme heat, freezing, and moisture during transit. Secure upright and avoid rough handling. Not regulated as dangerous goods under transport regulations. Store in a cool, dry area after delivery, away from incompatible materials, with stock rotation applied. |
| Storage | Store SILFOAM SC 132 in a tightly sealed original container in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight, heat, and incompatible materials. Avoid extreme temperatures and freezing. Keep containers upright to prevent leaks. Ensure area is clean and inaccessible to unauthorized personnel. Always follow manufacturer label instructions. |
| Shelf Life | Shelf life is typically 12 months from manufacture date when stored in original, unopened container at moderate temperatures. |
In sugar beet extraction, foaming is driven by saponins, pectins, and partially hydrolyzed cell-wall polymers released from sliced beet during counter-current diffusion at 70–75°C. The foam mass in extraction water and circulating juice reduces heat transfer, raises sugar loss in pressed pulp, and restricts throughput on diffusion towers operating above 2,500 t/d slicing capacity. SILFOAM SC 132 is an anhydrous silicone compound based on polydimethylsiloxane and hydrophobic silica. It is metered into the fresh extraction water or circulating juice pump suction through a positive-displacement diaphragm pump fitted with a pulsation dampener. The compound should be injected upstream of a static mixer with at least 15 pipe diameters of residence length. The dosing range for sugar beet extraction is typically 2–20 mg/kg dry beet, with the upper band used for high-saponin beet varieties or extraction water with elevated pectin load. Batch-to-batch foaming variation requires foam-height measurement under controlled air sparge, not timer-based dosing. Over-addition does not create a direct food safety incident, but it does create a process reliability problem: unspread silicone accumulates on pulp press filter cloths, lowers dewatering, raises pulp moisture, and increases pulp dryer energy demand. The risk is greatest when the undiluted compound is added to cold extraction water below 10°C, because large oil lenses pass through the distribution zone without coating the foam surface. Published data for this specific configuration is limited; mill trials should establish the lower effective dose by measuring pulp moisture and filtrate turbidity after the press.
In aerobic fermentation, foaming is generated by cell-surface proteins, extracellular polysaccharides, and high aeration rates in stirred tank reactors. SILFOAM SC 132 is introduced into the sterile antifoam addition line to collapse foam without reducing oxygen transfer more than necessary. A typical reference dosing range for anhydrous silicone compound in fungal or bacterial fermentation is 50–500 mg/kg final broth, but actual demand varies with feedstock composition, pH, dissolved oxygen setpoint, and broth rheology.
The process conflict is not defoaming efficiency but oxygen transfer. Silicone antifoam droplets spread on the air-water interface and depress the volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient kLa by reducing gas-liquid surface renewal. In stirred tank reactors with Rushton impellers operating at 3–5 m/s tip speed and 0.5–1.5 vvm aeration, over-addition can cause dissolved oxygen to fall below the setpoint of 30% saturation even when agitation and airflow remain constant. A dissolved oxygen drop of more than 5 percentage points within 30 minutes after an antifoam shot should trigger a reduction of the next dose. The compound is best added continuously or in small intermittent shots. Large slugs lead to oil droplet coalescence in the rising gas plume, creating localized kLa depletion near the sparger. Downstream filtration is another boundary: excess polydimethylsiloxane is hydrophobic and may blind cross-flow membranes or microporous filters after cell removal. Pre-coating with diatomaceous earth mitigates but does not eliminate fouling. The use level in fermentation is therefore set by the foam collapse demand at the start of the oxygen-limited growth phase, not by the total foam volume at the end of the batch. Published data for SILFOAM SC 132 in specific fermentation broths is limited; the 50–500 mg/kg band is a reference starting point for similar anhydrous silicone compounds.
Corn wet milling generates foam from steep water proteins, residual sulfur dioxide, lactic acid, and starch hydrolyzate. The most foam-stable point is the jet cooker, where starch slurry at 105–110°C is heated and the rapid pressure drop creates flash steam and stable foam. SILFOAM SC 132 is added before the jet cooker, into the slurry line after enzyme addition. A progressive cavity pump delivers the compound against 5–8 bar line pressure. Inline high-shear dispersion at 1,200–1,800 rpm prevents liquid lenses from accumulating on heat exchanger surfaces. The target addition is 20–100 mg/kg dry starch, depending on the protein content in the steep liquor and the degree of hydrolysis.
The critical boundary occurs in downstream falling-film evaporators. Silicone antifoam can deposit on evaporator tubes if the addition rate exceeds the thin-film redistribution capacity. Operating at evaporation temperatures of 80–95°C under vacuum, the compound is thermally stable but can combine with insolubles and foul the tubes. Deposits reduce the overall heat transfer coefficient and destabilize boil-up. A moving-ball flow meter or thermal mass meter is preferred over a rotameter because the viscous compound is sensitive to pressure fluctuation. The dosing point should be immediately after the static mixer, and the homogenizer at 1,500 rpm must not run dry. Dry running generates localized heat and degrades the silica particle distribution. In germ separation and fibre washing, the same compound is used at lower doses of 10–50 mg/kg on wet fibre. Overuse in fibre wash hydrocyclones creates hydrophobic films on starch-gluten separation surfaces, changes split ratios, and can contaminate isolated starch with trace silicone oil. Analytical verification of residual silicone on finished starch is required if the starch is intended for infant nutrition or powdered beverage applications. Published data for this specific configuration is limited; field validation under the given slurry protein content and dryer load is required.
Caustic peeling of potatoes releases gelatinized starch, pectin, and cell-wall glycans into flume water. The high turbulence in recirculated flume systems stabilizes a thick foam layer that carries solids out of hydrocyclones and blocks peel separators. SILFOAM SC 132 is pre-dispersed in potable water at 10–20% concentration, then injected into the flume return line at 5–50 mg/kg flume water. A diaphragm pump with stroke-length control is used because recirculated flume water contains peel fragments that would clog gear pumps. The injection point should be upstream of a static mixer or a high-velocity elbow to create droplet dispersion.
The process constraint is not foam knockdown but separation efficiency. Overdosing coats starch granules and peel debris with a hydrophobic film, changing particle settling rates in the flume and hydrocyclone system. This causes peel carryover into the downstream waste stream and reduced starch/water separation efficiency. Foam on optical sorter housings also interferes with camera-based defect sorting; addition must be reduced when false rejects from optical sorters exceed the baseline. Batch-to-batch variation is substantial because potato solids and starch content change with cultivar and storage age. Published data for this specific configuration is limited; the lower addition rate should be confirmed by measuring flume overflow foam height and hydrocyclone underflow solids after each cultivar change.
Hard candy and sugar confectionery processors use vacuum cookers to remove water from glucose-fructose syrups and sucrose solutions at high brix levels above 90°Bx. The rapid moisture flash creates a foam that can surge into the vacuum line and contaminate condensate. SILFOAM SC 132 is added to the pre-cook syrup at 10–30 mg/kg dry syrup before the final heating coil. The compound remains active at coil surface temperatures of 140–155°C because the polydimethylsiloxane-silica aggregate is thermally stable under low-shear conditions.
Direct injection into the vacuum vessel is not recommended because it creates localized high concentration and can leave visible oil droplets on cook surfaces. The product should be added to a recirculating syrup line with a static mixer. In continuous hard candy lines running at 2,000–4,000 kg/h finished mass, dose variations of more than ±5% can produce intermittent foam slugs. Mass flow-based metering is therefore required. The limiting factor is not antifoam degradation but downstream polishing filtration of the syrup. Residual insoluble silica can be removed by 10 µm filter bags if necessary. Published data for this specific configuration is limited.
The following compliance boundaries apply to food-grade silicone antifoam compounds of this type.
| Standard / regulation | Scope | Relevant boundary for this compound |
|---|---|---|
| FDA 21 CFR 173.340 | Defoaming agents used in food processing | Residual limits tied to current GMP; use in sugar and starch processing must not exceed prescribed residual concentration |
| EC 1333/2008 Annex II | E900 dimethylpolysiloxane in final food categories | Category-specific maximum levels or quantum satis; final food dosage must match Annex II entry |
| FCC current monograph | Food-grade dimethylpolysiloxane identity and purity | Limits for silicon dioxide fineness, heavy metals, and volatile matter |
| GB 2760 | China food additive use categories | Categories and maximum addition levels for dimethylpolysiloxane |
| REACH EC 1907/2006 | Industrial registration obligation | Not a food additive authorization; registration volume applies to EU supply |
In ready-to-eat sauces, soups, and gravies, starch gelatinization and protein denaturation during batch cooking create a stable foam at the kettle surface. SILFOAM SC 132 is added directly to the hot batch if the final food category allows dimethylpolysiloxane under the applicable food additive regulation. The dosage is typically 10–50 mg/kg final food, but the upper limit is not governed solely by the compound's viscosity or silica content. It is dictated by the category maximum in EC 1333/2008 Annex II or the relevant national standard.
When the product is added to a large atmospheric cooking kettle with scraper-surface agitators, it should be dispersed against the agitator vortex and not injected into the jacket steam vent. A peristaltic or single-use diaphragm pump can be used for scale-up from pilot batch to 3,000 kg production kettle. The foam collapses rapidly, but residual silicone can be found in the final emulsion. The dosage must therefore be checked against the finished food category. In the European Union, dimethylpolysiloxane is listed as E900 with food-category-specific maximum levels; a category entry may permit only 10 mg/kg in a particular sauce or may use quantum satis under another category. Published data for this specific product's carryover is limited; the final dosage must be confirmed by a food regulatory specialist against the current Annex II text.
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SILFOAM SC 132 Silicone Antifoam Compound–Food Grade is a non-aqueous, water-free silicone defoaming agent based on polydimethylsiloxane and dispersed hydrophobic silica. The product is released for food-processing foam control where the carrier system must remain free of added water, preservatives, and emulsifiers. As a compound rather than an emulsion, the formulation does not depend on droplet-stabilizing surfactants for activity. Its function arises from spreading of the low-surface-tension silicone phase at the air–liquid interface, displacing film-stabilizing proteins, polysaccharides, saponins, or fermentation metabolites that entrain air in process streams. In production-scale equipment, SILFOAM SC 132 is typically injected by positive-displacement or progressive-cavity pumps into continuous process flows, including evaporator feed lines, fermentor headspace recirculation loops, blanching baths, syrup clarification units, and flume water systems. The grade designation SC 132 identifies a specific water-free silicone compound within the SILFOAM family; the Food Grade designation indicates manufacture for use under conditions where food additive and food-processing aid boundaries must be documented.
In high-shear food operations, the distinction between SILFOAM SC 132 and a water-dilutable silicone emulsion is expressed through carrier composition, preservation, and thermal behavior. A typical aqueous silicone emulsion contains water, emulsifiers, and often a preservative; pre-dilution with process water introduces water and surfactant into the recipe and can require biocidal protection during storage. SILFOAM SC 132 is a water-free silicone compound that is added as received or pre-batched into a compatible vegetable oil or propylene glycol carrier. This difference is critical in concentrated juice, sugar syrup, and preservative-free process specifications that exclude benzoates, isothiazolinones, or formaldehyde-releasing biocides. In falling-film or plate evaporators operating at 80–95 °C, the absence of an aqueous continuous phase reduces the risk of steam stripping of the carrier during film formation. Water-diluted emulsions can cream or separate under warm storage or mechanical shear, whereas a water-free silicone compound remains homogeneous if not contaminated with process water. Compared with polyalkylene glycol or vegetable-oil antifoams, the silicone compound exhibits a broader service-temperature window and does not undergo oxidative polymerization to form varnish residues on heated surfaces. Compared with very high-viscosity silicone pastes, SILFOAM SC 132 remains pumpable enough for ambient drum transfer and inline metering, but it is not a self-emulsifying water-dispersible product.
Incoming lot release for SILFOAM SC 132 is normally based on visual appearance, Brookfield viscosity, density, and nonvolatile content. The material is a whitish opaque viscous liquid. Density at 25 °C is typically near 1.0 g/cm³, close enough to water to require recalibration of mass-flow dosing skids when switching from antifoams of lower specific gravity. Brookfield viscosity is determined at 25 °C under low-shear rotational conditions; the typical range is 1,000–2,500 mPa·s, permitting transfer from drums with follower-plate systems and metering through short-line progressive-cavity or gear pumps. The formulation is nonionic, contains no added water, and has negligible water activity, which reduces the potential for microbial growth in stored material. No preservative system is required, and none is included. Nonvolatile content is typically above 99 wt% when measured by forced-air oven under the manufacturer’s specified time and temperature. The absence of a volatile carrier means that most of the metered mass remains in the process stream as active silicone, which must be accounted for in final-food silicone load calculations.
| Property | Typical value | Measurement condition |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Whitish opaque viscous liquid | Visual inspection at 25 °C |
| Density | 1.0 g/cm³ | Oscillating U-tube or pycnometer, 25 °C |
| Brookfield viscosity | 1,000–2,500 mPa·s | Rotational viscometer, low-shear condition |
| Nonvolatile content | >99 wt% | Forced-air oven, manufacturer’s release method |
The compound is normally dosed with a dedicated chemical metering skid. A short injection quill inserted into a turbulent flow zone, followed by a length of static mixing, gives acceptable dispersion in high-viscosity syrups and concentrates. In low-viscosity aqueous streams, poor dispersion can produce localized silicone droplets rather than a uniform interfacial layer. For this reason, dosing should be placed after heat exchangers or other high-shear equipment, not directly into the suction side of a centrifugal pump where uncontrolled shear may alter the silica–silicone network. Batch tanks should be monitored for surface foam accumulation and residual foam height; the minimum effective dose is determined by foam-cell trials, not by nominal supplier dosage alone. In many food processes, addition rates in the 5–50 ppm range are sufficient for foam suppression; concentrated solids streams may require higher feed-rates, but published data for this specific configuration is limited beyond plant-specific optimization.
Sugar refining represents a severe test for food-grade antifoams because the liquor contains surface-active impurities, saponins, and high dissolved solids. Foam accumulation inside vacuum pans, calandria tubes, and falling-film evaporators reduces the wetted heat-transfer area and raises tube-wall temperature, causing localized caramelization and reductions in evaporation capacity. A water-free silicone compound such as SILFOAM SC 132 can be injected directly into the thin-liquor feed line upstream of the evaporator, where the flow rate provides adequate distribution without adding water to the syrup. The typical dose is set by measuring foam height in the separator, pressure drop across the evaporator, and the temperature differential between steam and boiling liquor. If the differential rises above the clean-surface baseline, foam is usually restricting heat transfer. In such an operation, plant personnel often introduce a short bolus of 10–20 ppm of the compound into the feed, then reduce to a continuous maintenance dose of 2–5 ppm. This corresponds to direct silicone addition, not active dilution, and the food-grade dosage must be checked against final-product silicone limits.
When the compound is applied in vacuum pans, the antifoam must migrate quickly to the vapor–liquid interface without accumulating in the massecuite drain lines. Equipment with mechanical circulation or pulsating vacuum may require addition at the feed liquor entry point rather than the pan inlet to avoid localized silicone enrichment. The compound can also be used in beet and cane diffusion-juice lines, but if the juice is later clarified by membrane filtration or carbonatation, residual silicone may coat filter media. In those downstream operations, the lowest effective dose should be maintained and the feed point shifted to after the clarification step where possible.
In fermentation processes, SILFOAM SC 132 may be added through a sterile addition port using a peristaltic or piston-diaphragm pump. Foam collapse is often rapid because the silicone phase spreads at the gas–liquid interface; however, over-addition can depress oxygen transfer in aerobic fermentations by changing interfacial tension and bubble coalescence behavior. Dosing should therefore be based on foam height sensors or headspace pressure signals. In crossflow membrane systems, excess silicone antifoam can blind microfiltration or ultrafiltration membranes and is difficult to remove by ordinary alkaline cleaning. If the broth is subsequently clarified by ceramic membranes, the dose should be kept at the low end of the effective range and the membrane flux monitored for early fouling. In vegetable blanching water, the compound must be introduced through a high-shear mixing device or pre-emulsified in a food-approved carrier because it is not water-dilutable by simple agitation. The foaming tendency of bean and pea blanching water varies with harvest lot and pre-wash, so fixed-dose addition without feedback may result in either foam carryover or excessive silicone residue on the vegetable surface.
Direct food use of dimethylpolysiloxane as a defoaming agent is regulated in the United States under 21 CFR 173.340. The food processor must calculate carryover into the final product and ensure that the active silicone concentration does not exceed the end-use maximum for the relevant food category. In nonalcoholic beverages as consumed, one widely applied ceiling is 10 ppm active dimethylpolysiloxane. Concentrated syrups, dry mixes, and processed foods may have different limits based on dilution or reconstitution, and the final concentration must be determined from lot-specific assay data. When the product is used as a processing aid that is not intended to remain in the finished food, the facility should still document that subsequent washing, filtration, or separation removes the silicone to levels consistent with the intended food-contact status. Indirect use may be covered under 21 CFR 178.3120 or other applicable sections for food-contact articles; the supplier’s regulatory documentation should be verified for the specific article and use condition. In the European Union, the general framework for food-contact materials is EC 1935/2004, which imposes overall migration limits, good manufacturing practice, and traceability rather than a single product-specific use level. A food manufacturer must therefore retain the supplier declaration of compliance and perform process-specific verification.
| Reference | Scope | Application boundary |
|---|---|---|
| 21 CFR 173.340 | Direct food defoaming | Use level limited by food category; ready-to-consume nonalcoholic beverages commonly carry a 10 ppm active dimethylpolysiloxane ceiling. |
| 21 CFR 178.3120 | Indirect use in paper and paperboard manufacture | Verify specific article clearance and residual silicone level. |
| EC 1935/2004 | Food-contact materials framework | General safety, traceability, and GMP documentation required. |
Operational boundaries include storage between 5 °C and 40 °C in closed drums to exclude water and humidity. The compound is not water-dilutable; contact with water may create a separate high-viscosity layer or reduce dosing accuracy. Strong alkaline conditions above roughly pH 12 at elevated temperature can degrade the polysiloxane backbone and reduce antifoam activity. The product is also not intended for clear final beverages where turbidity must remain below stringent limits unless downstream filtration removes residual silicone droplets. If a process requires waterborne dilution at low temperature, an aqueous food-grade emulsion may be more suitable; if a process demands maximum thermal stability in a preservative-free, high-solids stream, SILFOAM SC 132 is used in the anhydrous form. Switching from another antifoam requires re-optimization of feed point, dosing rate, and clean-in-place sequencing because the residual silica–silicone film may behave differently from organic or water-based antifoam residues on product-contact surfaces.
