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Dynamic Foam Analyzer (DFA100)

A scientific instrument used for foam generation and foam avoidance

 

Foam plays an important role in numerous products and technical processes – either intended or as an unwanted side effect. In both cases measurements with the Dynamic Foam Analyzer DFA100 provide help. Patented foam parameters oriented on foam decay kinetics as well as traditional foam parameters provide practically relevant information about foam formation, stability and decay. Easily exchangeable modules for reproducible foam generation and contact-free measurement, quick cleaning and flexible software, which permits several independent measurements to be made simultaneously, ensure a high degree of usefulness in the laboratory.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Dynamic Foam Analyzer (DFA100)

Versatile

Whether warmly welcome or an uninvited guest: foam occurs almost everywhere that liquids are in motion. The DFA100 gets to the bottom of foam properties and provides knowledge that makes a contribution to foam generation or foam avoidance. With its conventional and newly developed, meaningful foam decay parameters, a flexible, modular design and intelligent software with repeating and parallel measurement options, the DFA100 is a competent partner in the foam testing laboratory.

  Cleansers / Detergents

               Food

              Body care

  Surfactant development

           Fire fighting

            Flotation

Practical

The DFA100 combines the highest degree of usefulness for the foam testing laboratory with scientific requirements. The instrument is easy to handle and clean, flexible thanks to its modular components and intended for high sample throughput – and is precise in the generation and analysis of the foam.

  • Contact-free (optical) measurement of foam height.

  • Foam generation with controlled gas flow or by stirring.

  • Simple cleaning.

  • Quick exchange of different columns and filter plates.

  • Sample volume from 20 ml.

  • Measurements also possible on very unstable foams.

  • Fully automatic measuring procedure.

  • Plug and play operation thanks to USB architecture.

  • Compact design (base area 25×28 cm).

  • Thermostattable measurements up to 90°C.

Scientific

 

 

 

During the measurement both foam generation and foam decay are analysed. The curves of both processes are described by a mathematical model with robust statistics.

Foam breakdown takes place in three phases:

I)    Drainage without decay
II)    Decay with simultaneous drainage
III)    Decay after completed drainage 

The patented parameters tdev and ttr, which were developed at the Max Planck Institute for Colloids and Interfaces, describe the breakdown kinetics and consider drainage and breakdown separately. They describe the foam stability with well-founded scientific parameters and characterize short-lived and stable foams according to the same convincing model.

In addition to tdev und ttr, the evaluation provides further conventional foam characteristics with respect to foamability and foam decay.

  • New, patented foam parameters tdev and ttr.

  • Decay-time-dependent foam height analogue to Ross-Miles.

  • Decay half-life value.

  • Decay time values for 10, 20 and 30 mm (NIBEM method).

  • Bikerman index.

  • Specific volume, foam capacity and foam density.

Intelligent

The software offers extensive functionality with user guidance oriented on the working procedure.

  • Live observation and evaluation.

  • Flexible parameterization.

  • Time or foam-height-controlled end of foam generation and the measurement.

  • Parallel measurements on several columns.

  • Automatic, statistically evaluated repeat measurements.

  • Comfortable data and project management.

  • Simple comparison between any measurements.

  • Later evaluation of stored image data.