The document discusses how surfactants like ALTRANOL can be used to control liquid spreading on surfaces by reducing surface tension. Surfactants act as wetting agents by lowering the interfacial tension between different materials like water and oil or stains. Specifically, non-ionic surfactants like ALTRANOL are resistant to hard water degradation and are excellent at removing stains since they do not have an electric charge.

2. Many technological process require
control of liquid spreading over solid
surface . When a drop is placed on a
surface, it can completely wet,
partially wet, or not wet the surface.
By reducing the surface tension with
sarfactants i.e ALTRANOL a non-
wetting material can be made to
become partailly or completely
wetting.

3. Fig.-1 – Surface tension
Fig.-2 Non-ionic surfactants
Surfactants are also referred to as wetting agents & foamers. Surfactants lower the
Surface tension of the medium in which it is dissolved. (as shown in Fig-1). By lowering this
Interfacial tension between two media or interfaces(e.g. air/water, water/stain, stain/fabric)
The surfactant plays a key role in the removal & suspension of dirt. The lower surface
Tension of the water makes it easier to lift dirt & grease off of clothes & other surfaces &
help to keep them suspended in the dirty water. The water-loveing or hydrophilic head
remains in the water & it pulls the stain towards the water, away from the fabric. The
Surfactant molecules surround the stain particles, break them up & force them away from
the surface of the fabric. They then suspend the stain particles in the wash water to
remove them.
Non-ionic surfactants do not have an electric charge which makes them resistant to water
hard deactivation. They are excellent stain removers. Non-ionic serfactants contribute to
making the surfactant system less hardness sensitive.

4. Continuous of phase Dispersed phase
EMULSION
The immiscible water phase acts as an ion sink for the charged species in the
Oily solvent. Ions from the oil strongly partition into the higher dielectric constant
Water phase. Ion drainage & self charging through preferential partitioning are
Intrinsic properties of oil water mixture.

5. ALTRANOL stable to metal salts & hard water.
Hard water includes the multivalent cations which can cause water to
form scales & resistance to soap & produces white precipitate. But
ALTRANOL treated fabric is stable with hard water & metal salts ,
& has very good wetting & detergency action with extremely hard water.

6. Since the ALTRANOL does
not have any ionic groups it
Does not react with hard
water ions. In addition
non-ionic detergents foam
less than ionic detergents,
which makes them resistant to water hard
deactivation. They are excellent grease removers.
ALTRANOL possess surface active properties
in water & whose solution are therfore to wet
surface that normally water repellent, thereby assisting in the mechanical dispersion
& emulsification of fatty or oily material & other substances that soil the surface.

7. STABLE TO ALKALINE & ACIDIC LIQUORSSTABLE TO ALKALINE & ACIDIC LIQUORS
Temperature
The alkali resistance indiacates the caustic soda concentration; if
exceeded,The scouring agent forms easily emulsified oil-drops on
the liquor surface inCase of low liquor turbulence.