Antifoaming agents are chemicals that reduce or prevent foam formation in industrial processes. They are mainly used in industries like oil & gas, pharmaceuticals, pulp & paper, textiles, and paints & coatings where foam needs to be controlled. These agents work by altering the surface tension at the air-liquid interface which weakens the cohesive forces between air bubbles and breaks up foam or prevents its formation. Some common types of agents include silicone-based, organic polymer-based and various oil-based formulations.

Growing Demand from Oil & Gas Industry

The global demand for these agents is closely tied to the oil & gas industry which accounts for a major share of its consumption. Foam control is a critical aspect of natural gas and crude oil extraction, transportation, storage and refining. As the oil & gas industry continues its expansion worldwide with growing energy needs, the volumes of upstream and downstream operations are also rising steadily. This is creating higher needs for antifoaming chemicals to regulate foam during drilling, extraction, processing of fossil fuels and transportation through pipelines. Rising shale gas and offshore drilling activities are further driving up the consumption of antifoaming agents in the oil & gas industry.

Demand Uptick from Water Treatment Plants

Water treatment plants that purify water for industrial and municipal uses represent another end-use sector augmenting the demand for Antifoaming Agent. Formation of persistent foam during various stages of water treatment process needs to be controlled using suitable chemicals. With urbanization growing rampantly and acute water stress faced by many regions, investments in water infrastructure projects are increasing yearly. This is propelling the usage of antifoaming agents in applications like wastewater treatment, desalination, removal of impurities and sludge treatment across water treatment facilities. Their usage also helps improve processing efficiencies and equipment performance in water treatment and purification activities.