Premium
Surfactants and protocols to induce spontaneous emulsification and enhance detergency
Author(s) -
LópezMontilla Juan C.,
James Monica A.,
Crisalle Oscar D.,
Shah Dinesh O.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of surfactants and detergents
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.349
H-Index - 48
eISSN - 1558-9293
pISSN - 1097-3958
DOI - 10.1007/s11743-005-0329-3
Subject(s) - chemistry , pulmonary surfactant , stain , laundry , mineral oil , sodium dodecyl sulfate , chromatography , ether , nuclear chemistry , staining , organic chemistry , biochemistry , waste management , medicine , pathology , engineering
In this study the presence of an oil‐soluble nonionic surfactant, Brij 30 (polyoxyethylene‐4 lauryl ether), in an oil stain, or its addition to the stain through an oil‐based solution or water‐based mixture is shown to enhance, to a great extent, the spontaneous removal of the stain from a polyester fabric by inducing rollback and spontaneous emulsification phenomena. These findings lead to potential applications of Brij 30 as laundry pre‐spotters for enhancement of the removal of tough stains. The effect of three key factors, namely, the surfactant type, the surfactant concentration, and the surfactant application protocol, on the effectiveness of spontaneous detergency was analyzed via ultraviolet‐visible spectroscopy. The test fabrics were soiled with a stain composed of mineral oil plus orange OT dye [1‐( o ‐tolylazo)‐2‐naphthol]. The results showed that all three factors were important for effective detergency. Brij 30 removed more than 80% w/w of the stain, whereas sodium dodecyl sulfate removed less than 24% w/w, and Brij 35 (polyoxyethylene‐23 lauryl ether) was ineffective, removing less than 1% w/w. It was also observed that a low threshold concentration of Brij 30, approximately 0.2 mM, was required to spontaneously remove the oil stain, and that higher concentrations did not cause a significant enhancement of the effectiveness of soil removal. Brij 30 completed the detergency effect in less than 1 min, which may have beneficial implications regarding reduced energy consumption. Video microscopy studies revealed that at low Brij 30 surfactant concentrations, the mechanism for spontaneous oil removal proceeded predominantly via a rollback mechanism and that at higher concentrations, a spontaneous emulsification mechanism became progressively more important.