A foam pump, or squeeze foamer and dispensing device is a non-

aerosol An aerosol is a suspension (chemistry), suspension of fine solid particles or liquid Drop (liquid), droplets in air or another gas. Aerosols can be generated from natural or Human impact on the environment, human causes. The term ''aerosol'' co ...

way of dispensing liquid materials. The foam pump outputs the liquid in the form of foam and it is operated by squeezing. The parts of the foam pump, mostly made from

polypropylene Polypropylene (PP), also known as polypropene, is a thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications. It is produced via chain-growth polymerization from the monomer Propene, propylene. Polypropylene belongs to the group of polyolefin ...

(PP), are similar to those of other pump devices. The foaming pump often comes with a protective cap.

Operation

A foam pump dispenses doses of the liquid contained in the bottle in the form of

foam Foams are two-phase materials science, material systems where a gas is dispersed in a second, non-gaseous material, specifically, in which gas cells are enclosed by a distinct liquid or solid material. Note, this source focuses only on liquid ...

. Foam is created in the foaming chamber. The liquid constituents are mixed in the foaming chamber and this is discharged through a

nylon Nylon is a family of synthetic polymers characterised by amide linkages, typically connecting aliphatic or Polyamide#Classification, semi-aromatic groups. Nylons are generally brownish in color and can possess a soft texture, with some varieti ...

mesh. The neck finish size of a foam pump is bigger than the neck finish size of other types of pumps, to accommodate the foamer chamber. The usual neck size of a foam pump is 40 or 43mm. Where hair-coloring products previously contained instructions to vigorously shake the product, squeeze the bottle, and turn upside-down to disperse the product, foamers do not require any such actions. Some foaming dispensers include suction on the bottom to allow the container to remain upright. Foamers can be purchased alone, or filled with a liquid product like soap. When the liquid is mixed with air, the liquid product can be dispersed through the pump-top as a foam. Foamers can also be re-used with different liquid products to extend the mass of the liquid by creating a foam-version.

Applications

The foam pump is widely used for dispensing cosmetic products and household chemicals, such as mousse foam cleansing,

hand washing Hand washing (or handwashing), also known as hand hygiene, is the act of cleaning one's hands with soap, soap or handwash and water to remove viruses, bacteria, microorganisms, dirt, grease, and other harmful or unwanted substances stuck to th ...

liquid,

hand sanitizer Hand sanitizer (also known as hand antiseptic, hand disinfectant, hand rub, or handrub) is a liquid, gel, or foam used to kill viruses, bacteria, and other microorganisms on the hands. It can also come in the form of a cream, spray, or wipe. W ...

, facial cleanser,

shaving cream Shaving cream or shave cream is a category of cream cosmetics used for shaving preparation. The purpose of shaving cream is to soften the hair by providing lubrication. Different types of shaving creams include aerosol shaving cream (also kn ...

, hair conditioning mousse, sun protection foam, spot removers, baby products, and so on. In the field of food and beverages, molecular gastronomy style

is usually created using various techniques and stabilizers such as

lecithin Lecithin ( ; from the Ancient Greek "yolk") is a generic term to designate any group of yellow-brownish fatty substances occurring in animal and plant tissues which are amphiphilic – they attract both water and fatty substances (and so ar ...

, but there is at least one ready-to-use liqueur that has been developed with the foaming apparatus top that produces an alcoholic foam topping for drinks.

References

{{packaging Pumps

Operation

Applications

See also

References