All About Surfactant Chemicals

Surfactant chemicals can be produced from natural as well as synthetic materials. These chemicals have versatile uses. They have the special ability to combine and mobilize different incompatible materials, such as oils, water, solvents, and fats. They are used for detergent and cleaning formulations. Certain surfactant chemicals are also used in beauty products and pharmaceuticals.

What are surfactant chemicals?

The term ‘surfactant’ has been derived from the phrase ‘Surface Active Agent’. Surfactants decrease the interfacial or surface tension between a solid and a liquid or between two liquids. They help different materials combine successfully. This ability is the reason behind their unique molecular structure. When you add surfactants to water as a part of cleaning formulation or detergent, they create structures known as ‘micelles’. These are tiny spheres of surfactant molecules that make the combination of items possible.

What are the uses of surfactant chemicals?

When you use the right surfactant chemicals, a particular process or a product becomes more efficient and more sustainable. Here are some of the uses:

Surfactant chemicals, on being added to detergents, help the detergent to get mixed into the water. They help cleaning agents to remove dirt and impurities from the surface that is being cleaned. If you do not use surfactants, soaps or detergents can never mix with water.

Surfactants are also used in lubricants like shaving foams and creams. They allow the razors to glide easily without creating any irritation.

Surfactants in car engine lubricants also help in preventing particles from getting stuck to different parts of the engine. This makes it easy for the parts to move, allowing the proper functioning of the vehicle.

What are the different types of Surfactant Chemicals?

Cationic surfactants

These surfactants have positively charged hydrophilic head groups. These are mostly used in antistatic products like hair conditioners and fabric softeners. The head group carrying a positive charge is deposited into the negatively charged fiber and hair surfaces. Cationic surfactants are also used in hard-surface disinfectants and cleaners as antimicrobial agents.

Anionic surfactants

These surfactants have a negative charge on their head groups. They provide amazing detergency properties. They can bind together particles that are positively charged, for example, oils and dirt. They lift and suspend these particles forming micelles. These kinds of surfactant chemicals are widely used in households and workplaces.

Amphoteric surfactants

Amphoteric or zwitterionic surfactants have a positive and negative charge on their head groups. This makes their total charge zero. These substances have low toxic levels. They are tolerant towards hard water and show excellent compatibility with other surfactant chemicals.

Nonionic surfactants

These surfactants do not have a charge on their head groups. Thus, they are milder. For this reason, they are used in households. Nonionic surfactants are mostly used in cosmetics and personal care products. These chemicals are also used in the agrochemical industry in the form of pesticides. They also find uses in the process of refining gas and oil. They are also commonly used in the case of coating applications.

Chemical Products Industries Also Offers Following Services:

Surfactant Manufacturers

Oxygen Removal From Natural Gas

Mercaptan Smell Removal

Degreaser Formulation

Contact US:

Chemical Products Industries, Inc.

Address:  7649 SW 34th St, Oklahoma City, OK
Phone:  (800) 624-4356

All You Need to Know about Surfactant Chemicals

Whether cleansing your face or washing clothes or doing laundry works, the product that peeps into your mind is surfactants and these compounds will help you to make your task easier and works efficiently. The chemical compound that lowers the surface tension of another substance and improvises the liquid and another compound contact is termed as “Surfactant”. In the chemical industry, the surfactants are actually one of the most versatile products. These products have a wide range of applications that range from detergents in households to drilling muds and from pharmaceuticals to food items.

Many of us may be familiar with the word surfactants but we may not know what actually it is and how do they work. To help you out, we have listed information about surfactants. Also, the benefits of surfactants and other valuable properties are depicted below for giving you a clear vision about the product!

Surfactant- What is it?

In all the cleaning detergents manufacturing process, the primary component used will be surfactant cleaner. The term “surfactant” generally means “surface-active” components. As its name indicates, its prime role is to act on the cleaning surface and helps in getting rid of dirt from the surface.

How actually Surfactant work?

The sufficient number of surfactant molecules in the solution combines with one another and results in the formation of structures called micelles. As soon as micelles are formed, the surfactant compounds arrange themselves in such a way that the head position of the component is exposed to water while the tails are protected from the water since it positions them in the center of the structure.

These micelles work together to remove dirt from the surface. The tails surround the dirt by sticking onto the surface and the head position removes the dirt by pulling it from the surface. Likewise, the surfactant molecules work together on the surface to remove the dirt.

Benefits of Surfactants

Surfactant chemicals mixed with some cleaning agents and help those cleansing agents to remove stains and dirt’s from the surface. Similarly, without the addition of surfactants in soaps, the cleansing process will get worsen since without surfactants the soap will not mix with the water.

Additionally, these chemical compounds can also be used as one of the ingredients in lubricants. In shaving creams, these substances help to limit irritation just by allowing razors to get rid of the stubble.

In cars, surfactants are added to lubricants and help in keeping particles away from the engine parts and keep the car in good running condition.

Other Valuable Properties

In addition to the reduction of surface tension, surfactants are also responsible for performing various other beneficial properties and that includes,

1) Wetting

2) Emulsifying power

3) Suspending power and

4) Foaming

Definitely, we can’t even think of a day without surfactants. It’s been used in almost all of the chemical industries for the manufacturing of various products. Without surfactants, your toothpaste will not foam and there would be a lack of shaving foam and sun creams will seem unappealing.

Surfactants are not only an essential ingredient for home products. It also plays a major role in metal cleaning, oil production, and textile processing too. Choosing the appropriate surfactant will make your process efficient, resource-intensive, less energy requirement and sustainable!

Contact US:

Chemical Products Industries, Inc.
Address: 7649 SW 34th St, Oklahoma City, OK
Phone: (800) 624-4356