Abstract—Non-Aqueous and Crude Oil Foams—Foams produced from non-aqueous media are
less common than water-based foams but they play an important role in many industries and engi-neering processes. The low surface tension of hydrocarbon fluids limits the adsorption of common
surface activity substances and different compounds and methods must be considered to generate
and stabilize oil-based foam. Likewise, the destruction of unwanted non-aqueous based foam requires
specific considerations not found with aqueous systems. Of particular interest are petroleum-based
foams, which are highly complex due to the wide variety of compounds and gases that can be found.
We provide an overview of the major mechanisms known to be important for non-aqueous foam sta-bility with a spotlight on crude-oil foams.