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Surfactant

Surfactants, or surface active agents, are essential components in cleaning products that lower surface tension between liquids or solids, aiding in dirt removal. They consist of a hydrophilic head and a hydrophobic tail, and are classified into four types: non-ionic, anionic, cationic, and amphoteric. Surfactants have various applications, including use in laundry detergents, dishwashing agents, toothpaste, shampoos, and even in food ingredients.

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18 views14 pages

Surfactant

Surfactants, or surface active agents, are essential components in cleaning products that lower surface tension between liquids or solids, aiding in dirt removal. They consist of a hydrophilic head and a hydrophobic tail, and are classified into four types: non-ionic, anionic, cationic, and amphoteric. Surfactants have various applications, including use in laundry detergents, dishwashing agents, toothpaste, shampoos, and even in food ingredients.

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Surfactant & its importance

INTRODUCTION
In our daily life we use various cleansing agents, detergents to clean our
household. The primary component of these cleaning detergents are
surfactants. As the name implies, surfactants stir up activity on the
surface we are cleaning to help trap dirt and remove it from the
surface.
SURFACTANTS
• Surfactants are also known as surface active
agents.
• Surfactants lowers the surface tension
between two liquids or a liquid and a solid.
• It also can be termed as Amphiphiles as it
contains both hydrophilic and hydrophobic
regions.
• Hydrophilic means water attracting region
and hydrophobic means water repelling
region.
STRUCTURE OF SURFACTANT

• Surfactant consists of two parts:


I. Hydrophilic Head.
II. Hydrophobic Tail.
• Hydrophilic head has strong affinity
for bulk solvent and can be neutral
or charged.
• Hydrophobic tail has little affinity for
bulk solvent. It usually consists of
hydrocarbon chain in aqueous
solvent and can be linear or
branched.
CLASSIFICATION OF SURFACTANTS
• Surfactants are classified
according to polar head group.
• They are classified into four
groups:
I. Non-ionic.
II. Anionic.
III. Cationic.
IV. Amphoteric.
NON-IONIC SURFACTANTS
• It has no charged groups in its
head.
• They can form hydrogen bonds
with water.
• They have oxygen-containing
hydrophilic groups which are
bonded to hydrophobic parent
structures.
• Examples- Brij-35, lauryl alcohol
ethoxylet.
ANIONIC SURFACTANTS
• They have anionic hydrophilic
head.
• These are sodium salts of
sulfonate long-chain alcohols or
hydrocarbons.
• Examples- SDS, sodium lauryl
sulfate.
CATIONIC SURFACTANT
• They have positively charged
group.
• These are chlorides, bromides or
acetates that are quaternary
water ammonium salts.
• Examples- Benzalkonium
chloride,
Trimethylalkylammonium
chlorides.
AMPHITERIC SURFACTANT
• They have both cationic and
anionic groups attached to the
same molecule.
• Anionic part is primary,
secondary or tertiary amines or
quarternary ammonium cations
and anionic part can be more
variable and include sulfonates.
• Examples- CHAPS.
HOW DO SURFACTANTS WORK?
• They forms micelles where the hydrophobic tails form core and the
hydrophilic heads are immersed in the surrounding liquid.
VARIOUS USES OF SURFACTANTS
• In laundry as detergents and soaps.
• In kitchen as dishwasher detergents.
• In toothpaste.
• In bathroom as shampoos, bath products.
• In food ingredients.
OTHER APPLICATIONS
• Foaming and Antifoaming agents.
• Bio-surfactants.
• Paints.

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