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surfactant
has definitions from the field of chemistry
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[ noun ] (chemistry) a substance capable of reducing the surface tension of a liquid in which it is dissolved
Synonyms Used in print (Jay C. Harris and John R. Van Wazer, "Detergent...)Polyphosphates gave renewed life to soap products at a time when surfactants were a threat though expensive , and these same polyphosphates spelled the decline of soap usage when the synergism between polyphosphates and synthetic detergent actives was recognized and exploited . Physicochemical investigations of anionic surfactants , including the soaps , have shown that there is little polymerization or agglomeration of the chain anions below a certain region of concentration called the critical micelle concentration . In the cleaning process , sorbed greasy soils become coated in this manner with an oriented film of surfactant . Related terms |
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