What is a defoamer / deaerator’s purpose in the system? Defoamers prevent formation of foam during manufacture and application of coatings and printing inks. Foam that is already formed is destroyed and air occlusions are prevented. Deaerators prevent development of air occlusions and pinholes. Why use a defoamer? The occurrence of foam is considered an undesirable but unavoidable phenomenon in coatings and printing inks. The formation of foam interrupts production processes, reduces the effective volumes in the production plant, and leads to unnecessary down time. Foam also interferes with the application process. In printing, foam can cause the ink reservoirs to overflow and can impair ink transfer from the printing cylinder to the substrate. Dried foam leaves surface defects in the paint film. To prevent foam and destroy any foam present, defoamers must be added to the formulation. defoamer vs. deaerator? To eliminate macro-foam on the surface, to prevent air occlusions, and...