Section
| HS Code | 457803 |
| Product Name | DF-538 Waterborne Mineral Oil Defoamer |
| Chemical Type | Silicone-Free Mineral Oil Based Defoamer |
| Grade | PSA (Pressure Sensitive Adhesive) Grade |
| Appearance | Milky white liquid |
| Active Content | 100 |
| Ph As Supplied | 6.0 - 8.0 |
| Viscosity 25 C Mpa S | 300 - 800 |
| Specific Gravity 25 C | 0.88 - 0.95 |
| Water Dispersibility | Readily dispersible in water |
| Ionic Type | Nonionic |
| Defoaming Efficiency | ≥ 90 |
| Silicone Content | 0 (Silicone-free) |
| Foam Suppression Performance | Excellent sustained foam control |
| Compatibility With Psa | Good compatibility with acrylic and rubber-based PSA formulations |
| Shelf Life From Manufacture Date | 12 months in original sealed container |
| Recommended Storage Temperature C | 5 - 35 |
| Packaging | 25 kg / 200 kg plastic drum or as customized |
As an accredited DF-538 Waterborne Mineral Oil Defoamer (Silicone-Free, PSA Grade) factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | DF-538 is packaged in sealed 25 kg HDPE pails or 200 kg steel drums, ensuring safe storage and transport. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | 20′ FCL: Palletized drums/IBCs, secure bracing, no silicone contamination. Standard dry container, proper labeling for safe transport. |
| Shipping | DF-538 is a silicone-free, waterborne mineral oil defoamer shipped in sealed containers to prevent leakage. Non-hazardous per transport regulations, it requires standard handling, dry storage between 5–35°C, and protection from freezing to maintain PSA-grade performance. |
| Storage | Store DF-538 in its original, tightly sealed container in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area. Protect from direct sunlight, frost, and extreme temperatures (ideally 5–40°C). Keep away from incompatible materials and sources of ignition. Avoid contamination. Under proper conditions, shelf life is typically 12 months from manufacture date. |
| Shelf Life | Shelf life is typically 12 months from manufacture date when stored sealed, unopened, and protected from freezing or excessive heat. |
In waterborne acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive coating lines for tape and label stock, entrained air introduced during IBC tote transfer into the service tank persists through rotary lobe pump recirculation, static-mixer homogenization, and slot-die delivery. DF-538 is added at 0.10–0.25 wt% of the wet adhesive after pH adjustment to 7.5–8.0 and after full hydration of the associative thickener; post-thickener introduction of a mineral oil defoamer can otherwise disrupt the thickener network and produce localized gloss variation in the dried film. The defoamer charge is commonly split into a primary dose of 80% of the total addition and a top-up dose added after 2 h of closed-loop recirculation, because the mineral oil droplets are partially consumed in collapsing foam lamellae during repeated passage through the slot-die lip. On coating lines running 20–30 m/min with 50–60% solids acrylic emulsions, the lower addition boundary is used when a 100 µm bag filter and 2–3 h recirculation residence time are configured, while closed-loop systems with 4–6 h residence time require the upper boundary. The defoamer survives the high-shear zone of a slot die at 2,000–5,000 s⁻¹ apparent shear rate and collapses microfoam in the return line before the coating pan. Industry compliance is anchored to FDA 21 CFR 175.105 for food-contact adhesives, REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 for chemical registration and restriction, ASTM D3330/D3330M for peel adhesion, ASTM D3654/D3654M for shear adhesion, and ISO 29862:2018 for tape testing. Coating is carried out by transfer from the service tank to an enclosed comma-blade or slot-die coating head, followed by three-zone forced-air drying at 70–110°C and lamination to release liner. Terminal finished product types include BOPP carton sealing tape, removable paper label stock, and low-tack protective film for appliance surfaces. Addition above 0.30 wt% is not recommended in this closed-loop configuration because excess mineral oil can reduce loop tack in ASTM D6195 measurements and create fisheye defects under a 2,000 W/m² light-table inspection.
Vinyl acetate-ethylene and vinyl acrylic packaging adhesives are compounded with high-speed dispersers that generate measurable air entrainment when the dissolver disc runs at 1,200–1,800 rpm and tip speeds of 18–25 m/s. Production-scale viscosity checks typically drift by up to 15% between the mixed batch and the deaerated laboratory sample when foam remains uncollapsed, which complicates in-process QC against Brookfield RVT readings at 20 rpm and 25°C. DF-538 is introduced at 0.10–0.35 wt% of the finished adhesive during letdown, after calcium carbonate slurry addition and before final pH and rheology adjustment, because earlier addition into the high-shear zone causes partial droplet coalescence and reduces defoamer persistence. The recommended addition point is the low-shear side of a baffled mixing tank at 300–500 rpm for 10–15 min. Pre-dilution into hot water above 40°C is not recommended in this segment because it can accelerate oil droplet coalescence before the defoamer reaches the air-laden batch. Compliance references for this segment include FDA 21 CFR 176.170 and 176.180 for paper and paperboard in contact with aqueous and fatty foods, FDA 21 CFR 175.105 for the adhesive itself, REACH Annex XVII restrictions, and EC Regulation 2023/2006 good manufacturing practice for food-contact materials. Filling operations use a 100–200 L/min positive-displacement filler, in which lower air entrainment yields consistent fill weights and prevents splashing during five-pail palletization. Terminal finished product types are waterborne packaging adhesives for paper sack lamination, folding carton side-seam bonding, composite can spiral winding, and case sealing. The operational boundary is set by oil sensitivity: above 0.35 wt%, mineral oil separation can appear after 3–5 days of storage as a surface sheen, which is unacceptable for food-contact conversion.
On narrow-web flexographic presses running surface-printed pressure-sensitive label stock at 100–200 m/min, air entrainment in enclosed doctor blade chambers produces pinholes and uneven ink transfer from 600–800 lpi anilox rolls. DF-538 is post-added to the finished water-based ink at 0.05–0.20 wt% after bead mill grinding and before final viscosity adjustment to 30–40 s DIN 4 cup at 25°C. The defoamer is dispersed under 300–500 rpm low-shear agitation for 10–15 min; higher shear can reduce droplet size below the defoaming threshold and require a second addition. Because this is a silicone-free mineral oil product, it does not leave surface-active silicone residues that cause cratering when the printed label is overprinted with water-based overprint varnish at 10–20 µm wet film thickness or laminated to BOPP face stock. Compliance in this application is defined by REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006, the EuPIA Good Manufacturing Practice for Printing Inks for Food Contact Materials, and EC Regulation 1935/2004 for food-contact articles; where the printed label is intended for dry food packaging, migration testing follows EU 10/2011 as applicable to the final laminate. In ink kitchens, the product is added before pour-in to minimize foam carryover into the enclosed chamber, using a shallow ink pan and retractable doctor blade at a press viscosity of 35 s DIN 4 cup. Terminal finished product types include surface-printed BOPP roll-label stock, wraparound bottle labels, and pressure-sensitive promotional stickers. Published data for DF-538 in high-speed enclosed-chamber flexographic units with ceramic anilox rolls above 900 lpi is limited, so a pre-production trial at 0.10 wt% is advised before full press speed is reached.
Aqueous contact adhesives for dry-bond lamination of transparent flexible packaging develop foam from two separate sources: the addition of water-dispersible isocyanate crosslinker and the return flow from the gravure coater pan. In this configuration, foam is not a cosmetic issue but a laminate integrity problem, because bubbles trapped in the 2–4 g/m² dry adhesive layer collapse under the laminating nip and leave pinhole defects that are not detected by online vision systems until the reel is slit. DF-538 is incorporated at 0.10–0.20 wt% of the adhesive component before crosslinker addition; the mineral oil carrier must be dispersed before the isocyanate is introduced to prevent localized oil droplets from interfering with isocyanate or carbodiimide crosslinking at the film interface. Compliance references include FDA 21 CFR 177.1395 for laminate structures intended for food contact, FDA 21 CFR 175.105 for the adhesive component, EC Regulation 1935/2004 and EU 10/2011 as applicable to the final multilayer structure, and REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006. The laminating line applies the adhesive by gravure on corona-treated polyester film at 42–48 dyn/cm surface tension, followed by two-zone drying at 60–90°C and nip lamination at 0.4–0.6 MPa to metallized PET or white voided film. Terminal finished product types include metallized snack packaging laminates, lidding film for dairy cups, and cold-seal over-laminate structures. Addition above 0.25 wt% is not recommended because wet-out on corona-treated polyester can drop below 38 dyn/cm, producing adhesive skip defects visible only after slitting at 300–500 m/min.
For acrylic copolymer latex destined for pressure-sensitive adhesive compounding, vacuum stripping after monomer reduction is the highest-foam unit operation because residual surfactant, initiator decomposition products, and low-molecular-weight oligomers stabilize the gas-liquid interface. DF-538 is added at 0.05–0.15 wt% of latex solids before the stripping vessel reaches 50–60°C and -0.8 bar; the product is introduced through the recirculation loop at 0.5–1.0 m/s linear velocity to avoid oil droplet coalescence on the reactor wall. Unlike silicone defoamers, the mineral oil chemistry does not deposit persistent silicone films on sight glasses, manways, or temperature probes, which is critical when the latex is later used for food-contact adhesive applications governed by FDA 21 CFR 175.105 and EU 10/2011. Compliance is also maintained with REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 and ISO 9001:2015 for batch traceability. After stripping, the latex is transferred through a 50 µm mesh filter to a letdown tank, where residual monomer is below 0.05 wt% and total solids are adjusted to 50–55% before drumming. Terminal finished product types are acrylic PSA base emulsions for removable labels, general-purpose tape adhesives, and freezer-grade label adhesives. The main operational limitation is that DF-538 must not be added to the reactor before the redox initiator chase is complete, since unreacted oxidizing agent can partially oxidize the mineral oil carrier and reduce defoaming activity during stripping; published data for this specific configuration is limited, so addition is validated by foaming height measurements in the stripping condenser.
Competitive DF-538 Waterborne Mineral Oil Defoamer (Silicone-Free, PSA Grade) prices that fit your budget—flexible terms and customized quotes for every order.
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DF-538 is supplied as an off-white, water-dispersible mineral oil emulsion classified as a silicone-free defoamer for waterborne pressure-sensitive adhesive compounding. The product is formulated to remove entrained air and microfoam from acrylic, styrene-acrylic, and carboxylated latex adhesive media without introducing dimethylpolysiloxane into the coated adhesive layer. Typical wet adhesive dosing ranges from 0.05 to 0.30 wt% of the total formulation; the required level is governed by foam head height, air release rate, and coating line speed rather than by extension of open time. Because the defoamer is waterborne, it can be incorporated directly into low-shear mixing steps and diluted with demineralized water. The silicone-free composition is intended for PSA coating lines where siloxane migration to the adhesive surface would reduce printability, label adhesion, or subsequent lamination performance.
In waterborne acrylic PSA dispersions, microfoam release is governed by lamella drainage, hydrophobic particle bridging, and the spreading coefficient of the defoamer droplet at the air–water interface. General-purpose mineral oil defoamers may fail in PSA lines because their droplet size distribution exceeds the thickness of the applied wet film; droplets larger than 20 µm can create localized surface depressions. DF-538 is manufactured to a controlled median droplet size of 5 to 15 µm, a range that permits rapid air release in wet adhesive films of 25 to 75 µm. Foam knockdown and persistence in such media are commonly evaluated with the blender test described in ASTM D3519-21, with foam height recorded at 0, 5, and 10 min after shearing. The active hydrophobic phase comprises a medium-viscosity mineral oil treated with fumed hydrophobic silica; the silica particles create the necessary advancing contact angle for bubble wall destabilization while the mineral oil forms an insoluble droplet that spreads at the foam lamella. Residual microfoam in high-solids PSA can reduce wet film coverage and contribute to gauge variation on transfer coaters; therefore, air release must be completed before the wet adhesive enters the drying tunnel. The effective concentration depends on surfactant load and thickener system. Formulations containing more than 1.5 wt% of anionic emulsifier generally require the upper end of the dosing range.
A production control window applies to DF-538 as supplied. The typical values below are generated from retained batch records and are not to be read as single-point release limits. Rheological testing uses a Brookfield RVT rotational viscometer at 20 rpm with spindle 2; alternative spindle geometries may produce non-comparable readings. The product must be homogenized before sampling because a slight surface creaming can occur during storage at temperatures below 15 °C.
| Property | Typical control range | Test method |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Off-white opaque liquid | Visual |
| pH as supplied | 6.0–8.0 | ASTM E70-19 |
| Density at 20 °C | 0.98–1.02 g/cm³ | ISO 2811-1:2016 |
| Brookfield viscosity at 25 °C | 200–800 mPa·s | ISO 2555:2018 |
| Nonvolatile content | 24–28 wt% | ISO 3251:2019 |
| Flash point | >100 °C | ASTM D93-20 |
| Water dispersibility | Dispersible at 1:10 in demineralized water | Visual after inversion |
| Shelf life at 5–35 °C | 12 months from date of manufacture | Internal stability protocol |
Release against these values is confirmed by certificate of analysis for each production lot; actual lot-to-lot variation in active content is typically held within ±1.5 wt% of the nominal value. When the product is pre-diluted, pH and biocide levels must be re-established because dilution water can introduce microbiological contamination.
Silicone-based defoamers typically reduce the dynamic surface tension of an aqueous coating to 21–24 mN/m, a level far below the surface tension of acrylic PSA films and many face stocks. This depression is the source of cratering, crawling, and print-receptive defects on corona-treated facestock. DF-538 exhibits a milder liquid–air surface tension response because its mineral oil phase has a surface tension of approximately 30–32 mN/m and the emulsion does not contain low-surface-tension siloxane oligomers. The result is defoaming without selective wetting failure on polyester or polypropylene label facestocks. Silicone contamination can be detected at the coated surface by contact angle measurement or X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy; silicone-free chemistry avoids the need for a separate wash step before printing. In comparison with general-purpose mineral oil defoamers, DF-538 uses a medium-hydrophobe mineral oil with a controlled particle size distribution; many unmodified mineral oil grades show rapid foam knockdown but leave a visible oily gloss at use levels above 0.3 wt%. Published data for this specific configuration is limited, particularly for low coat weights below 20 g/m² dry adhesive, but industrial practice indicates that the PSA grade should be optimized for low migration and low haze rather than maximum foam knockdown.
Comparative behavior across defoamer classes, based on production evaluations of waterborne acrylic PSA formulations, is summarized below.
| Defoamer class | Surface tension effect | Typical dose in waterborne PSA | Coating defect risk | Silicone contamination |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DF-538 mineral oil, PSA grade | Moderate, 30–32 mN/m | 0.05–0.30 wt% | Low | None |
| General-purpose mineral oil | Matrix-dependent | 0.10–0.50 wt% | Medium; haze at high dose | None |
| Silicone-polyether | Strong, 21–24 mN/m | 0.01–0.10 wt% | High if overdosed | Yes |
At the point of use, DF-538 is introduced after the polymer dispersion and initial thickener addition but before final pH adjustment. Low-shear mixing at 100 to 300 rpm is sufficient to distribute the emulsion; high-shear dispersion at rotor-stator speeds above 1500 rpm can fracture the defoamer droplets and reduce air-release efficiency. Pre-dilution with demineralized water at ratios between 1:1 and 1:5 improves dosing accuracy in small batches but should be consumed within 24 h because the diluted emulsion may lose biocide protection. Hard water with total hardness above 300 ppm CaCO₃ equivalent may destabilize the emulsion and is not recommended for predilution. The product should be added upstream of final filtration; filter bags of 100 µm or coarser are preferred to avoid retaining the active droplet phase. In recirculating coating pans, dose into the return line rather than into the foam layer to minimize air incorporation. Production-scale adhesive coating lines using slot-die or comma coating have shown that the largest process variable is not dose but the timing of addition relative to tackifier dispersion. If the defoamer is added before tackifier dispersion, emulsion droplets may be partially extracted into the tackifier phase; if added too late, air release cannot be completed before the wet film enters the dryer.
A carboxylated acrylic latex with a pH of 7.5 to 9.0 is compatible with DF-538 at the recommended addition levels. The emulsion is weakly anionic/nonionic; addition of strong cationic coagulants or aluminum sulfate above 100 ppm can initiate heteroflocculation of the defoamer droplets and should be avoided. Freeze-thaw stability is limited; storage below 0 °C can cause phase separation and silica aggregation. If frozen, the product must be discarded rather than rehomogenized. In tackified systems, rosin ester dispersions and hydrocarbon tackifier dispersions may contain surfactants that alter the cloud point of the defoamer emulsifier system; jar compatibility tests at the expected use level and at 40 °C for 72 h are recommended before production use. The defoamer is not intended for solventborne PSA systems due to phase inversion risk. It is also incompatible with concentrated hypochlorite or strong oxidizing biocides; oxidative materials can reduce the mineral oil droplet effectiveness and generate off-odour.
Regulatory acceptance for DF-538 is supported by its silicone-free composition and by the use of mineral oil and food-grade emulsifiers. The defoamer may be used in adhesive formulations that are subject to FDA 21 CFR 175.105 for indirect food contact adhesives; it is not to be used as a direct food additive. For paper and paperboard adhesives, the relevant status should be confirmed against FDA 21 CFR 176.170 and 176.180 only when the finished adhesive is intended for that use. The product is designed to comply with REACH registration obligations and RoHS restrictions on hazardous substances; it contains no dimethylpolysiloxane, no organotin catalyst, and no intentionally added alkylphenol ethoxylates. Volatile organic compound content is below 0.1 wt% by mass when tested using ISO 11890-2:2020, which is relevant for air-quality compliance in coating plants. Since defoamer efficiency depends on viscosity and particle size rather than solvent content, the low-VOC profile does not require reformulation of the adhesive solids content. The final choice of mixing and filtration hardware should be validated against these boundaries.
