Too much foaming is defined by not being able to make specification on the treated gas. OR, if amine losses exceed the design.
here is 1 link I googled up, I remeber some lab test where you just took a sample of the amine and shook it, then added a drop of oil and shook it again and noted the difference.
Once I was informed by an MDEA manufacturer that they use these following numbers to interpret the result of such analysis and determine the severity of foaming:
What would cause the Recyle H2 gas leaving the Scrubber to be 150 degrees? The lean amine is 130 degrees and the gas going into the Scrubber is 95 degrees.