Detergent

The detergent is a substance that has the chemical-physical property of peptizing, that is, the property of finely dispersing a solid, such as dirt or the impurities of an object

In medicine, deterger is understood to mean cleaning an ulcer or wound, and the substances used for this are called detersors. This implies that substances as disparate as saliva, soap or gasoline can be classified as detergents depending on the surfaces they are used on, since when they clean they have a detergent effect. It could also be defined that a detergent is any substance that has properties of wetting another substance by incorporating the dissolved substance in the initial detergent substance.

Most detergents are substituted sodium benzene sulfonate compounds called linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS). Others are branched-chain alkylbenzene sulfates (ABS) compounds, which degrade more slowly than LAS. Until 1970 a typical heavy duty laundry detergent contained 50% sodium tripolyphosphate (phosphate) and only 18% LAS. As mentioned above it is the LAS that has the detergent action, and since then some manufacturers have reduced the percentage of phosphates.

Detergents must have a wetting capacity (wetting) to remove dirt from surfaces, as well as keep residues in suspension (peptizing power). They should also have good rinsing properties so that dirt and detergent residues are easily removed from the equipment. There are many types of detergents, so it is recommended to find out about it in order to ensure that the detergent to be used is the right one to eliminate the type of dirt to be cleaned and that it is applied in the correct concentration and temperatures.

Properties

Detergents are understood only as substances that peptize fats or organic matter thanks to their tensoactivity. This term went from industrial language to domestic language to refer to them as opposed to soap. But actually, soap is just another surfactant (detergent).

Although soaps share these properties, soaps are not practically considered detergents. Soaps owe their tensoactivity to the property of their molecules of having a hydrophilic (in turn lipophobic) part and a lipophilic (in turn hydrophobic) part (v.gr. amphiphilic molecule) and being able to emulsify water-insoluble dirt. In soap, this property is obtained by hydrolyzing a long-chain fatty acid with an alkaline salt, often sodium or calcium.

This process is called saponification. The end of the molecule containing the fatty acid is lipophilic, and the end containing the alkaline atom is hydrophilic. This was basically the only surfactant used domestically until the mid-20th century. When automatic washing machines appeared, there was a progressive demand for more active substances that behaved better in hard water (richer in calcium), since these decreased the water solubility of the soap, with which it was washed away sooner, reducing the contact time. between itself and clothing. This added to the soap shortage that had occurred during World War II. Detergent products of industrial origin appeared on the domestic market that included mixtures of surfactants with other substances (adjuvants, such as polyphosphates, silicates, carbonates and perborates, and auxiliary agents that include, among others, enzymes, fluorescent substances, foam stabilizers, dyes and perfume). The first detergents of this type, derived from benzene, were widely used in the 1940s and 1950s, but they were neither soluble nor biodegradable, making them ecologically harmful. A second generation of detergents, linear alkylsulfonates, are less toxic as they are biodegradable.

The first detergent (soap) was made in Germany in 1906, and consisted of a mixture of traditional soap to which sodium perborate and silicate were added. It was named with the first three letters of each addition, Persil.

Acid detergents

Acid detergents are recommended for cleaning cement surfaces or stone materials, since they recover the aesthetic appearance of facades and walls, reducing cleaning times.

These products offer the following advantages:

• Clean up quickly.
• Improves surface appearance and adherence.
• No stain.

Application of detergents

1. Humidize the surface before applying.
2. The application should be made with brush or roll, the product should be applied without diluting or diluting in a 1l detergent ratio by 3 water.
3. After applying wait from 8 to 12 minutes for the product to penetrate on the surface.
4. Cepille the surface, with a brush of plastic or metal bristles, depending on the hardness of the residues, until completely removed.
5. Once you have removed all the waste, rinse the surface with water and soap to completely remove the acid detergent and neutralize the surface.

Precautions when using detergents

• Do not exceed the recommended dosage and do not leave the acid detergent without neutralizing for a long time, as the surface can deteriorate.
• Do not use the product to clean metal or steel surfaces such as: clums, metal pipe, reinforcement steel, etc., as the product could corrode them.
• Don't mix with chlorine.

Difference between soap and detergent

The main difference is found in the polar groups, in soaps it is the carboxylate group (O=C-O-Na) whereas in detergents it is the SO3 Na group. The detergent is a GH8 solvent while the soap is IJ45 to also make it corrosive.

Laundry detergents

Laundry detergents can be classified into three groups:

• Dust detergents
• Liquid detergents
• Detergents in pills

For many years powder detergents have held the largest share of the textile detergent market, although the liquid detergent category is growing more and more.

Consumers use increasingly lower washing temperatures, either to protect fabrics and colors, or to save energy and protect the environment. For this reason, during the last decades, detergent manufacturers have been forced to severely modify the composition of their products. They have responded to these changes by adding enzymes, oxidizing agents, and phosphonates to their products.

Note that some people improperly call it powdered soap.

Liquid detergents are increasingly accepted by consumers. These detergents are often less effective than their powdered counterparts. This is due to the difficulty in incorporating ingredients such as zeolites, phosphates and certain bleaching agents into them. Manufacturers try to compensate for these technical problems by increasing the concentration of surfactants in the formula. In recent years, a process of concentration of the ingredients in the formulations of liquid detergents has been taking place. A recent study has shown that concentrated detergents are similar in efficacy to their conventional counterparts, with concentrates being more environmentally friendly.

Despite having been on the European market for several years, tablet detergents have not achieved a significant market share. The greatest advantage of these detergents is their ease of use: they are easy to dose, take up little space, and it is easy to know how many doses are left. One of the requirements for formulating a tablet detergent is that it disintegrate quickly on contact with the wash water. For this, manufacturers usually add effervescent ingredients, dispersants or fast-dissolving salts.