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Ever since the old days, many products such as soap have been produced using such a type of surfactant that the portion where hydrophobic radicals are attached ionizes negative when dissolved in water. Even today, this type of surfactants is widely used in detergents, shampoos, etc. and the volume amounts to approximately a half of all the surfactants.
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This type of surfactants, which the portion where hydrophobic radicals are attached ionizes positive when dissolved in water, are sometimes called the "invert soap" because it has the opposite structure compared to soap with regards to the way of ionization. This type generally adheres strongly onto the surface of a negatively charged solid material, and allows attaining effects such as softening, anti-static, sterilization. In terms of structure, those of the amine salt type and the class-4 ammonium salt type are widely used.
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This is a type of surfactant that exhibits the characteristics of an anionic surfactant in alkaline environment and those of a cationic surfactant in acid environment. Most of those generally used are of carbonic acid salt type. While they are further classified as the amino acid type and the betain type, the betain type is less irritating to the skin or eyes, and widely used as an admixture that enhances detergency or promotes foaming.
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This is a surfactant having hydrophile radicals that do not ionize when dissolved in water. As this type is less influenced by the hardness of water or the electrolyte, it can be used together with all other types of surfactants. With the virtues of easy application, the advantages in penetration, emulsifying, dispersing, detergency, etc. admitted, the use of nonionic surfactants have recently been increasing remarkably, and becoming the major surfactant parallel to the anionic surfactants. The nonionic surfactants can be classified to the ether type, ester type, ether/ester type and other types depending on the type of major bonding in the molecule. Nihon Emulsion has many experiences of manufacturing nonionic surfactants (Emalex EX series) using vegetable-based materials that are drawing special attention these days. We have many experiences of material substitution from the conventional material in these series.
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| This surfactant has a structure in which polyhydric alcohols such as glycerin, solbitole, sucrose, etc. and fatty acids are combined with ester, featuring the outstanding stability. The glycerin fatty acid ester, the solbitan fatty acid ester and the sucrose fatty acid ester are approved as a food additive and widely used as a food emulsifier or in the field of cosmetic products. This type of a nonionic surfactant is sometimes called the "polyhydric type". |
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| This surfactant is a type made by applying mainly the ethylene oxide to the material having hydroxyl radicals such as high alcohol, alkyl-phenol, etc., and it is the most representative of all nonionic surfactants. The polyoxy-ethylene-polyoxy-propylene-glycol that uses polypropylene glycol as a lipophile radical features its low foaming property and is used for various applications as a low foaming type surfactant. |
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| This surfactant is a type made by applying the ethylene oxide to the fatty acid or polyhydric alcohol fatty acid ester, having both ester bond and ether bond in the molecule, and used mainly for emulsifier or dispersant. As both of the "ether type" and the "ether-ester type" are the ethylene-oxide-added type, they are sometimes called the "polyethylene glycol type". |
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| The fatty acid alkanol-amid type that is of a type in that the lipophile radicals and the hydrophile radicals are bonded in amide bonding allows stable foaming, and it is used as a foaming stabilizer agent for a detergent, etc. Additionally, the alkylpolyglyceride, which is made from sugar (grape sugar), is very gentle to the skin, and recently drawing attention as a surfactant having superb cleansing and foaming effects. The type made by adding the ethylene oxide to the fatty group amine is mainly used as an anti-static agent. |
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In addition to the above, reaction type surfactants, which are made by adding a reacting property with the high polymer surfactant having a large molecular weight or with other materials, are being developed recently. The lecithin, which naturally exists in a living body and makes cell membrane, and the saponin, which widely exists in the world of vegetable, are also the members of surfactants. |
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About surfactant 
