WORLD SURFACTANT MARKET

The world market of surfactants reached US$24.33 billion in 2009, nearly 2% up from the previous year. As the global economy seems to show strong recovery, the surfactant market value is expected to grow by 2.8% this year through 2012.

Toothpaste Paint Pesticide & Herbicide Detergent

Shampoo

Ink

Cosmetic

What is surfactant ?
Compound that . Lower the surface tension of liquid. Lower the interfacial tension between two liquid or between a liquid and a solid.

Properties of surfactant
Organic compound that are amphiphilic.

A micelle the lipophilic tails of the surfactant molecules remain on the inside of the micelle due to unfavourable interactions. The polar "heads" of the micelle, due to favourable interactions with water, form a hydrophilic outer layer .

Effect of surface tension on everyday life

Beading of rain water on the surface of a waxy surface. Water adheres weakly to wax and strongly to itself, so water clusters into drops. Surface tension gives them their near-spherical shape, because a sphere has the smallest possible surface area to volume ratio.

Water beading on the leaf

Formation of drops occurs when a mass of liquid is stretched. It is stretched to a point where the surface tension can no longer bind it to the faucet. It then separates and surface tension forms the drop into a sphere.

Water dripping from the tap

Flotation of objects denser than water occurs when the object is nonwettable and its weight is small enough to be borne by the forces arising from surface tension. The insect's feet cause indentations in the water's surface, increasing its surface area.

Water striders stay on top the liquid because of surface tension

Separation of oil and water is caused by a tension in the surface between dissimilar liquids. This type of surface tension is called interface tension.

Lava lamp with interaction between dissimilar liquids; water and liquid wax

Surfactants reduce the surface tension of water by adsorbing at the liquid-gas interface. They also reduce the interfacial tension between oil and water by adsorbing at the liquid-liquid interface.

Anionic surfactants Cationic surfactants Amphoteric surfactants Nonionic surfactants

Surfactant classification according to the composition of their head: nonionic, anionic, cationic, amphoteric.

 Are negatively charge Enhance foaming and other spreading properties For example : Shampoo for hair contains sodium or ammonium laureth sulfate.

anionic surfactant
Dioctyl Sulfosuccinic Acid IUPAC name : 1,4-dioctoxy-1,4-dioxobutane-2sulfonic acid

 Are positively charge, very toxic to plants as they can disrupt membrane ion balance. Commonly used in heavy-duty cleaning compounds. For example : Engine wash surfactant

 Form either a positive or negative charge in water, depending upon the pH of the solution. Very rarely used in horticulture crop protection. Use specifically to match the properties of specific pesticide. For example : Baby Shampoo

 Do not have a charge in the solution Commonly used in horticulture industry Composed of alcohol and fatty acids

Applied nonionic surfactant at a higher rate, causes damage to the plant.

Natural surfactant/ Biosurfactant

Non toxic and biodegradable. Examples: coconut oils, palm oils, castor oils, lanolins, wheat amino acids

Surfact-V UltraWet SilWet 408

Surfact-V/UltraWet
water soluble, highly concentrated. Lowered the surface tension of the spray droplet and increases the leaf surface wettability. Improves the uptake of the active ingredient by the plant.

Spreading effect of UltraWet and Surfact-V

SilWet 408
Superspreading surfactant based on a trisiloxane ethoxylate. gives a surface tension of <22 mN/m. Promotes rapid uptake of agrochemicals into plants via stomatal infiltration.

Water has a surface tension of 73 mN/m. Leaves generally have a thin waxy coating and exhibit hydrophobic properties resulting in high contact angle for water droplets. Surfactants reduce the contact angle of spray droplets.