Curious About Anionic Surfactants?
If so, you’ve come to the right blog post! We will discuss what anionic surfactants are and some of their most common applications.
What Are Surfactants?
Before jumping into anionic surfactants, it will be helpful to define “surfactants”. The word “surfactant” is actually a blend of the phrase “surface-active agent”. Surfactants are substances that work to decrease the surface tension of water. They are found in a range of industrial products, such as:
- Wetting agents
- Emulsifiers
- Dispersing agents
- Foaming and anti-foaming agents
- Detergents
- Fabric softeners
Surfactant molecules consist of a hydrophobic tail and a hydrophilic head. This property means they are not only attracted to water, but also to grease, oil, and other types of contaminants, ultimately allowing them to remove these contaminants from surfaces.
What Are Anionic Surfactants?
Now that we have discussed what surfactants are, we can focus on anionic surfactants. Anionic surfactants are surfactants that have negatively charged hydrophilic heads. More specifically, the head of an anionic surfactant usually consists of a negatively-charged organic ion as well as a positively-charged ion, often a metal.
This distinguishes them from cationic surfactants, which have positively-charged hydrophilic heads; nonionic surfactants, which have no charge at their hydrophilic heads; and amphoteric surfactants, which can have positively-charged, negatively-charged, or neutral hydrophilic heads, depending on the pH of their environment.
Uses of Anionic Surfactants
Anionic surfactants are one of the most popular types of surfactants and for good reason! They can be found in numerous types of products, including:
- Detergents and soaps
- Anti-static products
- Shampoos
- Pesticides and insecticides
- Sewage treatments
- Rust removers
- And more!
Where to Purchase Surfactants
As you can see, surfactants are quite versatile ingredients, and anionic surfactants are no exception. Wondering where you should go to purchase surfactants? Look no further than BulkChemicals2Go!
Here at BulkChemicals2Go, we offer the surfactants Brosurf N95/NP9 and Surfactant 91-6, as well as a wide variety of other high-quality, industrial-grade cleaning solutions. All of our products are sold in bulk sizes, allowing our customers to take advantage of bulk pricing. Plus, bulk sizes use less packaging, making this a fantastic feature for companies trying to reduce their impact on the environment.
Whether you are interested in learning more about our products and services or are ready to buy, our team would be happy to help. Contact BulkChemicals2Go today by calling 800-563-1305 or emailing info@bulkchemicals2go.com. We look forward to hearing from you!