Surface conditioner

Surface conditioner n. Preparatory coating applied to a chalked surface to bind chalk to the substrate, prior to top coating. 

Interest in these alkyl modifled polymeric structures was relatively low for some time, but about 20 years ago was heightened when it was realized that interalkyl chain association, as well as intrachain association, could take place, effectively increasing the molecular weight of the polymer and, therefore, the viscosity of the solution. Hence the term associative thickener evolved and now includes polyamphiphilic structures, i.e., not necessarily only polyionic structures. The presence of hydrophobic groups endows these polymers with surface and interfacial activity and hence with potential as foam, emulsion, and suspension stabilizers as well as surface conditioners. 

Daniel Products Slip-Ayd surface conditioner range numbers 14 polyethylene micronlzed powdered waxes, giving a range of particle sizes and hardnesses, with improved resistance to blocking and abrasion. 

Surface conditioners (gloss controllers, texturing agents)... 

Soil conditioners are materials that measurably improve the physical characteristics of the soil as a plant growth medium. Typical uses include erosion control, prevention of surface sealing, and improvement of water infiltration and drainage. Many natural materials such as peat and gypsum are used alone or in combination with synthetics for soil conditioning. This article is concerned with synthetic soil conditioners, many of which are introduced as polymeric systems similar to the gels and foams formed in situ by chemical grouts. 

Because panthenol binds well to hair follicles and attracts moisture from the air, it is a moisturizing agent used in shampoos and conditioners. It lubricates the hair without feeling greasy. Instead, it smoothes roughened hair surfaces, making them shiny and easier to comb. 

Quaternary ammonium compounds are cationic surfactants that bind well to anionic surfaces like the protein in hair. The ammonium end sticks to the hair, leaving the long fatty end of the molecule to act as a lubricant. They are slightly conductive, so they reduce the buildup of static electricity. Quats, as they are sometimes called, include compounds like stearalkonium chloride, disteardimonium chloride, quaternium-5, or quaternium-18, polyquaternium-10 and they are all similar in form and function to cetrimonium chloride. These compounds are also widely used as fabric softeners, for all of the same reasons they make good hair conditioners. They are also used to thicken the shampoo. 

Conditioners are surfactants that neutralize the electrical charge on the surface of the hair, and smooth down protein scales on the hair shafts. These effects make the hair easier to style and less prone to static electricity. 

Washing removes the natural coating of protective oil that gives hair its body and shine. To counter this, shampoos and conditioners contain hydrophobic oils that cling to the surface of hair and remain in place upon rinsing. Dimethicone, shown in our inset, is an artificial oil that contains hydrophobic silicon-oxygen chains and methyl groups. 

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