How Do Surfactants Work

As the name implies, surfactants stir up activity on the surface you are cleaning to help trap dirt and remove it from the surface. Surfactants have a hydrophobic (water-hating) tail and a hydrophilic (water-loving) head. The hydrophobic tail of each surfactant surrounds soils.

What does surfactant do in water?

Surfactants, or surface-active agents, are amphiphilic molecules. Their heads are polar, or hydrophilic, and their tails hydrophobic. They are soluble in both organic solvent and water. The surfactant reduces the surface tension of water by adsorbing at the liquid–gas interface.

What is a surfactant and how does it affect surface tension?

What is Surfactant? A surfactant, at its most basic, is a substance that is designed to reduce the surface tension of a liquid. For many operations in manufacturing processes, it is necessary for a liquid to spread out and wet a surface.