ANTIFOAMING ACTION OF YOXYETHYLENE-POLYOXYPROPYLENE-POLYOXYETHYLENE-TYPE TRIBLOCK COPOLYMERS ON BSA FOAMS

Antifoaming action and mechanism of polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene-p olyoxy triblock copolymers (Pluronics) on aqueous bovine serum albumin (BSA) foams were studied. Addition of Pluronic L-62 or L-61 to 4 gl(- 1) BSA solution in 4-100 mu M concentrations had a strong antifoaming effect which increased with the Pluronic concentration. It was found t hat, in spite of the general view that antifoams work effectively only in the heterogeneous phase, the Pluronics acted in the homogeneous ph ase, i.e. when the copolymer was dissolved in the BSA solution. Surfac e tension measurements showed that Pluronics adsorb at the solution su rface and interact with BSA in the surface layer. Foam experiments rev ealed that the copolymer antifoams acted primarily at the top of foams where the foam lamellae are the thinnest and the probability of film rupture increased with the film drainage time. Single film drainage ob servations showed that the BSA solution forms stable foams because it forms rigid foam films. Addition of Pluronic L-62 or F-68 made the pro tein film mobile and the film thinning rate was much faster than witho ut Pluronic. The film drainage rate was independent of the Pluronic ty pe and concentration, but the films were less stable with L-62 than wi th F-68. A possible explanation for this is that the polyoxyethylene c hains of the F-68 are much longer than in the L-62 (or L-61) and thus the steric repulsion between the polyoxyethylene chains of the adsorbe d polymer can produce a positive film disjoining pressure only with th e F-68. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.