Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
active species), solubility, adsorption behavior, or any of the other variations related
to the chemical structure of the molecule and its interactions with other system
components. From the trends in production and use, it is clear that surfactants,
although they may seem to constitute a ''mature'' class of industrial chemicals,
have a lot of room for additional growth.
Some classes of surfactants, in particular nonionic materials, may be especially
favored for above-average growth in consumption. Their advantages in perfor-
mance at lower temperatures, low-foaming characteristics, and relative stability
at high temperatures and under harsh chemical conditions are definite pluses in
many technological applications. Possible disadvantages may be in their depen-
dence on petrochemical feedstocks, the potential security risks involved in the pre-
paration of their oxide precursors, and lingering questions about the presence of
very small amounts of reaction by products that are perceived to be particularly
dangerous (peroxides, dioxins, etc.).
Because of their special characteristics, soaps will continue to be important sur-
factant products. Although increased industrialization in the third world will
undoubtedly lead to greater use of synthetic alternatives, population growth alone
can be expected to maintain the current levels of soap consumption worldwide.
While the ''big six'' surfactants will almost certainly continue to dominate the
surfactant market, there will always arise the need for new and improved surfactant
products. A few potentially fruitful areas of research include
1. Multifunctional surfactants (e.g., detergent and fabric softener in a single
structure)
2. More ecologically acceptable chemical structures
3. New surfactants based on renewable raw materials
4. Surfactants with good chemical and thermal stability
5. Highly biocompatible surfactants
6. Polymeric materials that show good surfactant activity and produce viscosity
enhancement
7. Materials that promise energy savings in terms of their manufacture or
functionality at lower temperatures
These represent just a few ideas related to surfactant use and possible future growth
potential. For a ''mature'' industry, surfactants remain an interesting area for
research and development.
1.6. SURFACTANTS IN THE ENVIRONMENT
The use of surfactants throughout the world is increasing at a rate in excess of the
population growth because of generally improved living conditions and processed
material availability in the less industrially developed third world countries. Hand
in hand with increased surfactant use go the problems of surfactant disposal. As the
