Detergents surface active

If pure water is shaken, no bubbles are observed at the surface. All pure organic fluids exhibit no bubble formation on shaking. It means that, as an air bubble rises to the surface of the liquid, it merely exits into the air. However, if an aqueous detergent (surface-active substance) solution is shaken or an air bubble is created under the surface, a bubble is formed (Figure 8.1). 

Triton SP-Series surfactants use both a hydrophobe and an ethoxylate chain hydrophile. The surfactants are characterized by nonionic surfactant features such as good detergency, surface activity, and wetting. When the pH of an aqueous solution that contains a Triton SP-Series surfactant is reduced, the bond between the surfactant hydrophobe and hydrophile is permanently destroyed, thus eliminating surfactancy. This product was launched commercially in December 1996 and is currently available. The surfactants cannot be used in highly acidic environments. Other compounds that might be found in the contaminated waste, snch as phosphate, may interfere with the oil/water separation after snrfactant deactivation. All information is from the vendor and has not been independently verified. 

Surfactants produce micelles. Their amphophilic nature classifies them as detergents, surface-active agents that are composed of a hydrophilic group and a hydrophobic hydrocarbon chain. In addition to what is known as the critical micelle concentration (CMC), individual surfactant molecules (monomers) interact with each other to form aggregates or micelles, establishing a state of equilibrium between a constant monomer concentration and a rapidly increasing micelle concentration. 

See colloid protective phase (2) detergent surface-active agent wetting agent. 

Detergents (surface active agents and their builders) ... 

Detergent, surface-active agent. Used as 1% aq. soln. in photometric detns. of metals (with some azo reagents). Cryst. Sol. H2O. 

The surface-active agents (surfactants) responsible for wetting, flotation and detergency exhibit rather special and interesting properties characteristic of what are called association colloids or, in the older literature, colloidal electrolytes. These properties play an important role in determining, at least indirectly, the detergency of a given surfactant and are therefore considered here... 

K. Durham, Ed., Surface Activity and Detergency, Macmillan, New York, 1961. 

A wide class of aiyl-based quaternary surfactants derives from heterocycles such as pyridine and quinoline. The Aralkyl pyridinium halides are easily synthesized from alkyl halides, and the paraquat family, based upon the 4, 4 -bipyridine species, provides many interesting surface active species widely studied in electron donor-acceptor processes. Cationic surfactants are not particularly useful as cleansing agents, but they play a widespread role as charge control (antistatic) agents in detergency and in many coating and thin film related products. 

The detergent range alcohols and their derivatives have a wide variety of uses ia consumer and iadustrial products either because of surface-active properties, or as a means of iatroduciag a long chain moiety iato a chemical compound. The major use is as surfactants (qv) ia detergents and cleaning products. Only a small amount of the alcohol is used as-is rather most is used as derivatives such as the poly(oxyethylene) ethers and the sulfated ethers, the alkyl sulfates, and the esters of other acids, eg, phosphoric acid and monocarboxyhc and dicarboxyhc acids. Major use areas are given ia Table 11. 

Quats are usually moderately soluble ia water, but this varies widely owiag to the range of groups bonded to the nitrogen. They are fundamentally nonreactive but act as surface—active cations. Compatibility with anionic detergents and activity ia the presence of hard water have been claimed for some quats (19). 

Alkenylsuccinic anhydrides made from several linear alpha olefins are used in paper sizing, detergents, and other uses. Sulfosuccinic acid esters serve as surface active agents. Alkyd resins (qv) are used as surface coatings. Chlorendric anhydride [115-27-5] is used as a flame resistant component (see Flame retardants). Tetrahydrophthalic acid [88-98-2] and hexahydrophthalic anhydride [85-42-7] have specialty resin appHcations. Gas barrier films made by grafting maleic anhydride to polypropylene [25085-53-4] film are used in food packaging (qv). Poly(maleic anhydride) [24937-72-2] is used as a scale preventer and corrosion inhibitor (see Corrosion and corrosion control). Maleic anhydride forms copolymers with ethylene glycol methyl vinyl ethers which are partially esterified for biomedical and pharmaceutical uses (189) (see Pharmaceuticals). 

The surface active properties of aHphatic amine oxides were discovered ia the 1930s and the wetting, detergent, emulsion, and foam stabilizing properties were published shortiy thereafter (42). However, the use of amine oxides was not significant until Procter and Gamble started usiag them ia household products around 1960 (43—46). 

Quahty control testing of siUcones utilizes a combination of physical and chemical measurements to ensure satisfactory product performance and processibihty. Eor example, in addition to the usual physical properties of cured elastomers, the plasticity of heat-cured mbber and the extmsion rate of TVR elastomers under standard conditions are important to the customer. Where the siUcone appHcation involves surface activity, a use test is frequently the only rehable indicator of performance. Eor example, the performance of an antifoaming agent can be tested by measuring the foam reduction when the sihcone emulsion is added to an agitated standard detergent solution. The product data sheets and technical bulletins from commercial siUcone producers can be consulted for more information. 

A number of these stmctures are offered commercially by BASE Corporation under the trade name Tetronic polyols. The products are similar to oxygen block polymers. Although not strongly surface active per se, they are useful as detergents, emulsifiers, demulsifiers, defoamers, corrosion inhibitors, and lime-soap dispersants. They are reported to confer antistatic properties to textiles and synthetic fibers. 

Sorbitol is the most important higher polyol used in direct esterification of fatty acids. Esters of sorbitans and sorbitans modified with ethylene oxide are extensively used as surface-active agents. Interesteritication of fatty acid methyl esters with sucrose yields biodegradable detergents, and with starch yields thermoplastic polymers (36). 

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