Product Code Database
A detergent is a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants with Cleanliness properties when in Concentration solutions. There are a large variety of detergents. A common family is the alkylbenzene sulfonates, which are soap-like compounds that are more soluble than soap in hard water, because the polar sulfonate is less likely than the polar carboxylate of soap to bind to calcium and other ions found in hard water.
Detergency is the ability to remove unwanted substances termed 'soils' from a substrate (e.g., clothing). (2025). 9781893997400, The American Oil Chemists Society. ISBN 9781893997400
Detergent molecules aggregate to form , which makes them soluble in water. The hydrophobic group of the detergent is the main driving force of micelle formation, its aggregation forms the hydrophobic core of the micelles. The micelle can remove grease, protein or soiling particles. The concentration at which micelles start to form is the critical micelle concentration (CMC), and the temperature at which the micelles further aggregate to separate the solution into two phases is the cloud point when the solution becomes cloudy and detergency is optimal.
Detergents work better in an alkaline pH. The properties of detergents are dependent on the molecular structure of the monomer. The ability to foam may be determined by the head group, for example anionic surfactants are high-foaming, while nonionic surfactants may be non-foaming or low-foaming.
Anionic detergents are the most common form of detergents, and an estimated 6 billion kilograms of anionic detergents are produced annually for the domestic markets.
, such as deoxycholic acid (DOC), are anionic detergents produced by the liver to aid in digestion and absorption of fats and oils.
During the First World War, there was a shortage of oils and fats needed to make soap. In order to find alternatives for soap, synthetic detergents were made in Germany by chemists using raw material derived from coal tar. Retrieved on 6 January 2015 (1997). 9780313251993, Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 9780313251993 (2025). 9781420014655, CRC Press. ISBN 9781420014655 These early products, however, did not provide sufficient detergency. In 1928, effective detergent was made through the sulfation of fatty alcohol, but large-scale production was not feasible until low-cost fatty alcohols become available in the early 1930s. The synthetic detergent created was more effective and less likely to form scum than soap in hard water, and can also eliminate acid and alkaline reactions and decompose dirt. Commercial detergent products with fatty alcohol sulphates began to be sold, initially in 1932 in Germany by Henkel. In the United States, detergents were sold in 1933 by Procter & Gamble (Dreft) primarily in areas with hard water. However, sales in the US grew slowly until the introduction of 'built' detergents with the addition of effective phosphate builder developed in the early 1940s. The builder improves the performance of the surfactants by softening the water through the chelation of calcium and magnesium ions, helping to maintain an alkaline pH, as well as dispersing and keeping the soiling particles in solution. The development of the petrochemical industry after the Second World War also yielded material for the production of a range of synthetic surfactants, and alkylbenzene sulfonates became the most important detergent surfactants used. (2025). 9781420014655, CRC Press. ISBN 9781420014655 By the 1950s, laundry detergents had become widespread, and largely replaced soap for cleaning clothes in developed countries. (2025). 9783642715457, Springer-Verlag. ISBN 9783642715457
Over the years, many types of detergents have been developed for a variety of purposes, for example, low-sudsing detergents for use in front-loading washing machines, heavy-duty detergents effective in removing grease and dirt, all-purpose detergents and specialty detergents. (2025). 9781420014655 ISBN 9781420014655 They become incorporated in various products outside of laundry use, for example in dishwasher detergents, shampoo, toothpaste, industrial cleaners, and in lubricants and fuels to reduce or prevent the formation of sludge or deposits. (2025). 9781574447576, Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781574447576 The formulation of detergent products may include bleach, fragrances, dyes and other additives. The use of phosphates in detergent, however, led to concerns over nutrient pollution and demand for changes to the formulation of the detergents. (1999). 9781439833322, Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781439833322 Concerns were also raised over the use of surfactants such as branched alkylbenzene sulfonate (tetrapropylenebenzene sulfonate) that lingers in the environment, which led to their replacement by surfactants that are more biodegradable, such as linear alkylbenzene sulfonate. Developments over the years have included the use of enzymes, substitutes for phosphates such as zeolite A and NTA, TAED as bleach activator, sugar-based surfactants which are biodegradable and milder to skin, and other green friendly products, as well as changes to the form of delivery such as tablets, gels and pods.
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