How do Detergents perform the Cleaning Action?

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How do Detergents perform the Cleaning Action?

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Cleaning Action with help of Detergents

The first detergent was developed was in 1916 by a German scientist called Fritz Gunther. Since then their use has been on the constant increase. A Detergent is an organic substance composed of carbon, oxygen sulphar and hydrogen compounds. When combined with water it helps to clean soiled materials. The ordinary soap is a type of Detergent but it has a different chemical composition. The household Detergents used mainly for cleaning cloths and utensils come in powder flake or liquid form. All the Detergents contain a basic cleaning agent called a surfactant or surface active agent. The surfactant molecules attach themselves to dirt particles in soiled materials like cloth etc.

Detergents

They pry the dirt particles from the cloth and surround the particles with a layer of water that allows them to be carried away. The surfactants that are made by treating beef fat or tallow with various chemicals, increase the wetting ability of water by lowering its surface tension. The surface tension is the force that keeps water molecules separate and help to move deper into soiled materials. This helps remove deep-seated dirt particles in fabrics. For exa. surfactants also help Detergents create lather and suds. Contrary to the popular belief lather and suds have very little to do with the cleanimg ability of a Detergent. The most common synthetic surfactants used in domestic Detergents are the alkyrbenzene sulphonates. The liquid Detergents are produced by mixing the ingredients in liquid form together with a hydrotrope or potassium toulene sulphonate which wnsures that the ingredients do not get separaated from the mixture. Liquid Detergent can reach solid areas better than soaps and do not leave deposit of dirts.

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