Detergents Definition
Detergents are compounds that have ionic groups connected to the end of a lengthy hydrocarbon chain. Detergents are long-chain carboxylic acid quaternary ammonium or sulfonate salts.
Detergents, often known as surfactants, are substances that lower water’s surface tension. Detergents were developed during World War 2 due to the lack of vegetable oils to make soaps. Detergents also contain two parts.
These are:
- Hydrophobic Tail: This part of the detergent is water-repellent similar to the soaps. It is the ionic or polar or charged group that is present at the end of the hydrocarbon chain.
- Hydrophilic Head: This part is water attractive or water-loving. It is made up of a long alkyl hydrocarbon chain.
Types of Detergents
Detergents are further classified into 3 types depending on the polarity of the polar group or hydrocarbon chain. These are:
- Cationic Detergents
- Anionic Detergents
- Non-ionic detergents
Properties of Detergents
Various properties of the detergents are,
- Detergents are Potassium or Sodium salts of a long alkyl chain that contains a sulfonate group at the end of it.
- Detergents are water-soluble compounds.
- Detergents reduce the surface tension of water and are called surfactants.
- Detergents are soluble in water like soaps. Detergents are even soluble in hard water and do not form scum so they overcome the major limitation of soap.
- This is because the ionic group present in detergents does not interact with the Mg or Ca ions present in hard water.
Difference Between Soap and Detergent
Soaps and Detergents are cleaning agents that are used to remove dirt and other undesirable particles from the human body, its clothes, and other surfaces. Both soap and detergents are used for cleaning action but there are quite differences between them, and the differences between them if discussed in the article. In general, soap is the sodium or potassium salt of fatty acids while detergents are long-chain carboxylic acid quaternary ammonium or sulfonate salts.
In this article, we will learn about Soap, Detergents and their properties, their differences, and others in detail.
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