What are the functions and applications of surfactants?

It is common in daily life, and it is used in detergents, shower gels, cosmetics and other products. Next, Xiaobai from Jie's Chemical will introduce to you what are the effects of surfactants.

1. Dispersion effect: Dust and dirt particles and other solid particles are relatively simple to gather together, and they simply settle in water. The molecules of the surface active agent can divide the solid particle assembly into fine particles, making them disperse and suspend in the solution. To promote the uniform dispersion of solid particles.

2. Emulsification effect, the comprehensive affinity of hydrophilic and lipophilic groups in the surface active agent molecule to oil or water. According to experience, the HLB value scale of the surface active agent is limited to 0-40, and the non-ionic HLB value is 0-20.

3. Foaming and defoaming effect, foam effect: The composition of foam is mainly the directional adsorption effect of the active agent, which is caused by the decrease of the surface tension between the gas and liquid phases. Generally, low-molecular-weight active agents are simple to foam, high-molecular-weight active agents have less foam, myristic acid yellow has high foaming properties, and sodium stearate has poor foaming properties. The foaming properties and foam stability of anionic active agents are better than non-ionic ones, such as alkanes. Sodium benzene sulfonate has strong foaming properties.

4. Disinfection and sterilization can be used as disinfectants and disinfectants in the pharmaceutical industry. Their sterilization and disinfection effects are due to their strong interaction with bacterial biofilm proteins to denature or lose their function. These disinfectants are in water All have relatively large solubility, and can be used for skin disinfection, wound or mucous membrane disinfection before surgery, instrument disinfection and environmental disinfection according to the applied concentration;

5. Descaling and washing effects. It is a relatively complicated process to remove grease and dirt. It is related to the effects of dampness and foaming mentioned above. A variety of auxiliary components are usually added to the detergent to increase the moist effect on the object to be cleaned, and it also has the functions of foaming, whitening, occupying the cleaning surface and not being polluted again.