How Do Surfactants Work?
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Independent Chemical Corporation offers a wide range of surfactants for a variety of applications. Surfactants, or surface-active agents, are a primary component of cleaning detergents and are found in many of the products we use in our daily lives.
Surfactants act to reduce tension at the surface or interface between two different phases or substances. By stirring up activity on the surface, they help to trap dirt and remove it. They are able to act in this way because they contain both a hydrophilic (water loving) group, such as an acid anion, and a hydrophobic (water hating) group, such as an alkyl chain. Molecules of water tend to congregate near the former and molecules of the water-insoluble material congregate near the latter. Surfactants can also act as a medium between oil and water, making them ideal as detergents, dispersants, emulsifiers, and biocides.
When there is a sufficient concentration of surfactant molecules in a solution, these molecules combine together to form structures called micelles. As micelles form, the surfactant heads position themselves so that they are exposed to water, while the tails are positioned in the center of the structure where they are protected from water. The micelles work as a unit to remove soils and debris. The hydrophobic tails are attracted to soils and surround them, while the hydrophilic heads pull the now surrounded soils off of the surface and into the solution. The micelles then reform with the tails suspending the soil in the center of the structure.
The hydrophilic head of each surfactant is electrically charged. The charge can be negative, positive, or neutral, and based on the charge a surfactant can be anionic, nonionic, cationic, or amphoteric. These four categories are summarized as follows:
Anionic surfactants are frequently used in soaps and detergents because they are able to attack a broad range of soils. They create a lot of foam when mixed, and are excellent at lifting and suspending particulate soils, but are not as good at emulsifying oily soils. Sulfates, sulfonates, and gluconates are all examples of anionic surfactants.
Nonionic surfactants are very good at emulsifying oils and are better than anionic surfactants at removing organic soils. Nonionic and anionic surfactants are sometimes used together in order to create dual-action multipurpose cleaners. Certain nonionic surfactants are non-foaming or low-foaming, making them a good choice for low-foaming detergents. Ethoxylates, alkoxylates, and coamides are examples of nonionic surfactants.
Cationic surfactants are useful in anti-static products such as fabric softeners, and can also serve as antimicrobial agents in disinfectants. They are not compatible with anionic surfactants since mixing positively charged with negatively charged surfactants will cause them to fall out of solution and no longer be effective. Cationic and nonionic surfactants are compatible. Alkyl ammonium chlorides are anionic surfactants.
Amphoteric surfactants&#; dual charges cancel each other out creating a net zero charge, referred to as zwitterionic. In acidic solutions, amphoteric surfactants become positively charged and behave similarly to cationic surfactants, while in alkaline solutions they become negatively charged and behave similarly to anionic surfactants. Amphoteric surfactants are often used in shampoos and cosmetics. Betaines and amino oxides are examples of amphoteric surfactants.
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Are you wondering how do surfactants work, and what the best type of surfactant is for your intended purposes? You should first understand that while there are four different types of surfactants, surfactants as a whole are used to lower surface tension between liquids in order to break up and remove impurities. Surfactants are also known as surface active agents, and are used as wetting, foaming, emulsifying, anti-foaming, and dispersing agents in a wide variety of products. Surfactants are able to disrupt the surface tension that exists between mediums to create these effects to make products like soaps, detergents, paints, adhesives, gels, fabric softeners, and other consumer products effective. The four different types of surfactants differ in composition and charge, making each surfactant disrupt surface tension in a different manner.
Primarily used as wetting agents, nonionic surfactants are present in coatings and liquid products. Common uses are in cleaning agents, polishes, and as fragrance carries in perfumes and air freshener.
Anionic can also be used as wetting agents. This type of surfactant is regularly used in detergents, toothpaste, shampoo, and soap. Its primary function is to emulsify dirt and impurities to allow the contaminants to wash away easily with water.
In light of the current global issues, Cationic surfactants are important to understand, as they have the ability to disturb cell membrane of viruses and bacteria. These surfactants carry a positive charge and are used in antibacterial and antifungal products to deliver the active agents to the cell.
These surfactants have a quick drying quality and are often used in paints, plastics, and latex products to aid in fast drying and coagulating.
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