What are some cationic surfactants?
Cationic surfactants are essentially quaternary ammonia compounds with positively charged surface-active moieties (e.g. benzalkonium, benzethonium, methylbenzethonium, cetylpyridinium, alkyl-dimethyl dichlorobenzene ammonium, dequalinium and phenamylinium chlorides, cetrimonium and cethexonium bromides).
What are cationic surfactants used for?
In detergents, cationic surfactants are used as cleaning enhancers in addition to anionic surfactants. They have excellent fat dissolving properties. In fabric softeners they are used as antistatic agents and finishing agents.
Is cationic surfactant harmful?
Cationic surfactants are irritating to mucosa, leading to gastrointestinal upset, but are more likely to cause burns of the mouth, esophagus and stomach than anionic or nonionic surfactants.
What is the difference between anionic and cationic surfactants?
These classifications are based upon the composition of the polarity of the head group: nonionic, anionic, cationic, amphoteric. A non-ionic surfactant has no charge groups in its head. If the charge is negative, the surfactant is more specifically called anionic; if the charge is positive, it is called cationic.
Which of the following is an example of cationic detergent?
Example of cationic detergents are quaternary ammonium compounds, benzalkonium chloride and cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide.
What can I use as a non-ionic surfactant?
Typical examples of this surfactant family include octaethylene glycol monododecyl ether and pentaethylene glycol monododecyl ether. Alkylethers of poly(propylene glycol). Another alternative to using poly(ethylene glycol) is poly(propylene glycol). Its alkylethers are also commonly used non-ionic surfactants.
Are cationic surfactants good?
Cationic Surfactants. Cationic surfactants have a positive charge on their hydrophilic end. The positive charge makes them useful in anti-static products, like fabric softeners. Cationic surfactants can also serve as antimicrobial agents, so they are often used in disinfectants.
Can you mix anionic and cationic surfactants?
Cationic surfactants cannot be used with anionic surfactants. If positively charged cationic surfactants are mixed with negatively charged anionic surfactants, they will fall out of solution and no longer be effective. Cationic and nonionic surfactants, however, are compatible.
How do cationic detergents work?
A cationic detergent is most likely to be found in a shampoo or clothes “rinse”. The purpose is to neutralize the static electrical charges from residual anionic (negative ions) detergent molecules. Since the negative charges repel each other, the positive cationic detergent neutralizes this charge.
How can you tell cationic detergent?
Cationic detergents are quaternary ammonium salts of chlorides, bromides or acetates. A cationic component of these detergents consists of a long hydrocarbon chain and the nitrogen atom has a positive charge in it.
Can you use a cationic surfactant with an anionic?
Cationic surfactants cannot be used with anionic surfactants. If positively charged cationic surfactants are mixed with negatively charged anionic surfactants, they will fall out of solution and no longer be effective. Cationic and nonionic surfactants, however, are compatible.
How are cationic surfactants used in fabric softener?
Cationic Surfactants Cationic surfactants are not contained in usual cleaning products but are the active agents in fabric softeners which represent an important group of detergent products.
What are the effects of cationic surfactants on skin?
This can lead to enhanced skin irritation and over-conditioning of hair. This will be discussed in the next section. In addition, because cationic surfactants bind to keratin with their hydrophilic heads at the surface and their hydrophobic tails oriented outward, they render the keratin surface more hydrophobic [41].
How are amphoteric surfactants used in personal care products?
In acidic solutions, the amphoteric surfactants become positively charged and behave similarly to cationic surfactants. In alkaline solutions, they develop a negative charge, similar to anionic surfactants. Amphoteric surfactants are often used in personal care products such as shampoos and cosmetics.