Types of Surfactant

An anionic surfactant is a macromolecule, usually in the sulfonate or sulfate group of chemicals such as sodium laureth sulfate, that acts as an active surface agent to lower the surface tension of liquids.

A non-ionic surfactant has no charged groups in its head. The head of an ionic surfactant carries a net positive, or negative charge. If the charge is negative, the surfactant is more specifically called anionic; if the charge is positive, it is called cationic.

Detergents can also be composed of substances that can modify pH of other components, as well as water softeners (compounds that reduce metal ion concentration) and enzymes that digest proteins or fats.

surfactant, Surfactants are compounds that lower the surface tension (or interfacial tension) between two liquids, between a gas and a liquid, or between a

Here are some common examples of surfactants: ... What are examples of surfactants? Update Cancel. ... Ethoxylated compounds, such as ethoxylated propylene glycol;

α-MES is a surfactant of high effect made of natural plant and animal oil and fat. It is characterized by good wetting, emulsifying, softening and resistance to hard water, and good solubility, high degradation rate, little stimulation to skin, high frothing ability. Especially in hard water, it’s frothing ability is better than LAS and K12.

The lecithin–sphingomyelin ratio (a.k.a. L-S or L/S ratio) is a test of fetal amniotic fluid to assess for fetal lung immaturity. Lungs require surfactant, a soap-like substance, to lower the surface pressure of the alveoli in the lungs.

Nonionic surfactants are a distinct type of surfactant with an uncharged polar head. In horticultural contexts, nonionic surfactants may be known as wetting agents because they help hydrophobic, or water repelling, soils to quickly and evenly absorb water by breaking the water's surface tension, allowing water molecules to spread for greater and faster water penetration.

Here are some common examples of surfactants: ... What are examples of surfactants? Update Cancel. ... Polygluconates, basically a glorified name for short-chain ...

Soaps (free fatty acid salts) Fatty acid sulfonates (the most common of which is sodium laryl sulfate, or SLS) Ethoxylated compounds, such as ethoxylated propylene glycol; Lecithin; Polygluconates, basically a glorified name for short-chain starches; Quaternary ammonium fatty acid adducts (aka ammonium quats, used as fabric softeners) Lignin sulfonates; There are many many more.

(d) Reverse or inverted micelles have a water core surrounded by the surfactant polar head groups. (e) A bicontinuous structure with the surfactant molecules aggregated into connected films characterized by two curvatures of opposite sign. (f) Vesicles are build from bilayers similar to those of the lamellar phase and are characterized by two distinct water compartments.(Description from Holmberg et al. Fig. 2.1, p. 40; Diagrams from Evans et al., Fig. 1.6, pp 14-15).