What is a surfactant and why is it useful?
In: Chemistry
It reduces surface tension, making a liquid spread more thinly. Making water wetter, so it can get into tiny little places and dissolve contaminants in or on a material. Dish washing liquid is a good example of a common surfactant.
Surfactants can also be used to make a dye run deeper into a material by making it thinner.
They are also used in fire fighting foams and oil dispersal agents.
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