Utilization of rice bran oil to produce an antifoamer

Crude rice bran oil was dewaxed by chilling to 17°C, followed by centrifuging. The wax sludge obtained was 68% free fatty acids and 32% waxes, whereas the oil phase was 65.65% fatty acids and 34.35% glycerides. The dewaxed oil was evaluated as an antifoaming agent for aqueous media and compared to commercial oleic acid. It was thought that dewaxed rice bran oil has an antifoaming power greater than oleic acid, especially when used in small proportions. Dewaxed rice bran oil was also applied to break and control the foam formation in a phosphoric acid production unit.