What is a surfactant and why is it useful?
In: Chemistry
The name Surfactant is an amalgamation of “Surface Active Agent”. In general, they most often are used to change the surface tension of water. Think about how a paperclip will float on water. The metal is denser than water but not heavy enough to break the surface tension of the water. Add a drop of dish soap, which is about 20ish% surfactant and the paper clip suddenly sinks. The surfactants in the dish soap lowered the surface tension of the water.
Surfactants accomplish all of these interesting properties by having a water-loving(hydrophilic) head of the molecule and a water-hating(hydrophobic) tail of the molecule. This is what allows it to make foams, clean surfaces, and emulsify. There is almost an endless list of applications for surfactants.
Source: I work for a company that makes surfactants.
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