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Questions tagged [surfactants]

Questions about compounds that lower the surface tension (or interfacial tension) between two liquids or between a liquid and a solid.

99 questions
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What are "tensides"?

I was reading about chemicals that control pore size of polyurethane foams and there it was mentioned that "tensides" decrease pore size. What are tensides? I assume it's the opposite of a surfactant, that is, it increases surface tension, but that…
wav scientist
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Why do surfactants lower the surface tension

Everybody knows that detergents, or generally amphiphilic substances, lower the surface tension. Of water, usually. I wonder if that's true for any polar solvent (most likely), i.e. will the same detergents work in, say, ethanol or liquid…
Karl
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Do surfactants exist in a gas phase?

I am wondering if there are surfactants that exist in a gas state that can be used to reduce the surface tension of a liquid. I know its a broad question, so for example, are there any gases that could reduce the surface tension of water when it is…
user88720
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Why does soap reduce surface tension of water

One explanation I read is that soap's long non-polar end will seek the air at the interface between water and air, and that the ionic end will form ionic-dipole bonds with the water. In the process of moving to the surface, the soap molecules force…
QCD_IS_GOOD
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What are the differences between the various household surfactants?

In a typical household, the following surfactants are found, among others: Soap / handwash Shower gel Shampoo Dishwashing agent Washing powder / liquid From my understanding, the role of all these is to lower the surface tension between water and…
user24682
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Figuring out if a surfactant is present

I have recently starting distilling my own essential oils using a still that I built out of an old diesel barrel. Before the first run with the still, I cleaned the inside using soap and water. I distilled until I created 5 gallons of hydrosol. The…
jteezy14
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Affect of EtOH on Anionic Surfactant

I am not a chemist nor do I have a background in chemistry, so I know nothing beyond my observations. Attempting to load SLS into a porous silica substrate by dissolving surfactant into 200 proof EtOH along with a lipid, held at 50c slow stirring on…
August
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Making a soapy (bubble) solution

There are fun and practical applications of soapy solutions for bubble making. An example of a practical one is detection of gas leaks from fittings and unions. Given various household products, what would have the best combination of wetting…
mongo
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Non-foaming surfactant to add to water

I'm looking for a surfactant that I can add to water to decrease the surface tension by 20 to 40%. I'm working on a new kind of mixing device that is so designed such that it mixes relatively large volumes of two liquids and cannot be made small…
rdemyan
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