A universal method for determining the detergent effect of surfactants

Abstract

Surfactants are indispensable in industrial applications today due to their wetting, emulsifying, dispersing, cleansing, and detergent properties. The use of surfactants extends from the cosmetic industry to the petroleum industry and beyond.Their characteristics and effectiveness can be assessed through various standardized tests, and based on these methods, their applications can be determined. However, there is a lack of a universally applicable testing method for one crucial and complex property: the detergent effect.The detergent effect refers to the removal of unwanted contaminants from a solid surface. However, cleaning is not solely attributed to the surfactant but to the appropriate combination of various factors, whose synergistic effect reduces surface contamination. The most significant factors influencing detergent effect include the characteristics and nature of the contaminants, properties of the cleaning solution (surfactant concentration and composition, water hardness, enzymes, etc.), temperature, washing time, and hydrodynamic conditions. Additionally, the presence of electrolytes, pH of the cleaning solution, and detergent foaming properties may also play important roles.Our goal was to develop a detergent effect testing methodology that is not specific to any particular application domain but offers a straightforward and easy-to-implement solution for comparing the detergent effect of various types of surfactants.•The study presents a method for determining detergent effect of surfactants.•The method is universal and suitable for the evaluation of any type of surfactant.•The method is low-cost and easy to perform.