SURFACTANTS
in society and business and concerns over ethics , health , sustainability , and government regulations . What began as a solution for something as simple as fabric cleaning has grown into a complex field involving multiple scientific disciplines and catering to many uses , from personal care products to industrial processes and high-tech applications including oilfields , agrochemicals , paints and coatings , food , etc .
Move away from animals
For centuries , soaps were made using vegetable oils and animal fats . In the early 1900s , fresh ground was broken , as new ways to create synthetic surfactants emerged . This development would
Figure 1 - Different types of biosurfactant
later contribute to the emergence of many synthetic surfactants , especially in combination with the growth of the petroleum industry . During World War I , when Germany faced shortages of vegetable oils and animal fats , its scientists developed new synthetic surfactants as substitutes .
The larger transition of the surfactant industry to non-animal sources was driven by multiple factors ; the availability of new , promising sources was not the only driver . Concerns about sustainability and those emerging out of religious beliefs - given that cattle and pigs were the primary animal sources for surfactants - became louder in later decades .
The shift away from animal sources became feasible because synthetic sources performed better in industrial environments , were reliable and could be produced at scale . The move away from animal sources also spotlighted plant-based alternatives . Coconut oil and palm kernel oil , both of which are known sources of fatty alcohols and therefore useful in surfactant production , must be mentioned here .
The current era is one where synthetic surfactants dominate , with plant-based sources following them . Biosurfactants are still small as a category but are showing a lot of promise .
Varying uses
The rapid evolution of surfactants , especially over the last century , from simple soaps to complex molecules , has meant their uses have multiplied dramatically across industries . Today , there is hardly any industry that these versatile products do not touch .
Surfactants are used in shampoos , toothpastes , and body washes , where their foaming and cleansing properties are vital . In detergents , their cleansing properties come to the fore . In foods , they are the emulsifiers and stabilisers . In addition , they are vital in making many products effective , from pesticides to dyes and drugs to nanoparticles . As technology advances , new possibilities for surfactants continue to emerge , as the nanotechnology example illustrates .
Move to mild and green
In the last 50 years , the widespread use of these compounds has led to increased scrutiny about their impact on the environment and human health . In response , the industry has tried to move away from petrochemicals and toward more sustainable and biodegradable surfactants , seeking renewable resources .
One of the earliest successes at correcting an environmental problem was achieved in the 1960s . The problem resulted from a hugely successful ingredient called branched
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