Surfactant amphiphilic molecular structure: one end of the hydrophilic group, and the other end is a hydrophobic group.
Surfactants are molecules made up of two distinct particle formation, kind of particles is extremely lipophilic, the other is extremely hydrophilic. After dissolved in water, the surfactant reduces the surface tension of water, and the organic compound to improve solubility.
A very wide range of surfactants (cationic, anionic, nonionic and amphoteric), providing a variety of functions for specific applications, including foaming effect, surface modification, cleaning, emulsion, rheology, environmental and health protection.
In many industries the surfactant formulation to be used as performance additives, such as personal and home care, and numerous industrial applications: metal treatment, industrial cleaning, oil, pesticides and the like.
The conventional wisdom is that the surfactant is a class, even at very low concentrations can significantly reduce the table (community) the surface tension of the substance. With the in-depth study of surfactant it is generally believed that as long as the lower concentration can significantly change the table (community) faceted
Quality or related material properties derived therefrom, may be placed under the category of surface active agents.
Regardless of the surfactant, its molecular structure by the two parts. One end of the molecule is non-polar lipophilic hydrophobic groups, sometimes also referred to as lipophilic group; the other end of the molecule is hydrophilic polar hydrophilic group, sometimes referred to as oleophobic group or aptly called hydrophilic head. Two types of structure and properties of the opposite or molecular fragments in both ends of the sub-groups of the same molecule and chemically connected, forming an asymmetric, polar structure, which gives a special kind of molecule both hydrophilic and lipophilic, but not the overall characteristics of the hydrophilic or lipophilic. This unique structure of the surface active agent is usually referred to as 'parent structure' (amphiphilic structure), surfactant molecules and thus often called 'parent molecule.'
Depending on the desired properties and specific applications, it requires the surfactant structure and has a relative density of different hydrophilic lipophilic. By changing the hydrophilic group or a lipophilic group type, and location of the share in the molecular structure can achieve the purpose desired hydrophilic-lipophilic balance. After years of research and production, it has derived many types of surfactants, but also contains many varieties of each species, to identify and pick a specific breed difficult. Therefore, it must make thousands of surfactants a scientific classification, and can help further research and production of new varieties, and for the screening, the use of surfactants to facilitate.