The document outlines the formulation of detergents, primarily focusing on surfactants and builders, which enhance cleaning by reducing surface tension and acting as water softeners, respectively. It also discusses the importance of factors like agitation, heat, and time in determining detergent effectiveness, especially contrasting hand dishwashing liquid with machine dishwasher detergent. Lastly, it highlights that one doesn't need chemistry expertise to start a business in this industry using professionally formulated compounds.

1. Detergent Formulation/Surfactant
1. Surfactants
Surfactants may be liquid or powdered, comprising organic molecules. Surfactants are "surface active
agents". They lower the surface tension of a liquid. What this means is that when added to water they
better able to penetrate through to surfaces and surround soil particles for enhanced cleaning. Surfactants
also reduce the interfacial tension between two liquids - whereas oil will usually float on water, the
addition of a small amount of surfactant will allow the water and oil to "mix".
2. Builders
Builders are inorganic such as silicates, phosphates and carbonates. Builders perform many functions
within a detergent formulation.
Builders act as water softeners,
They also act as an alkaline buffer against acidic soils and help maintain the pH balance of the
detergent,
Builders help break down and disperse larger clumps of soil,
They increase the negative charge on soil particles which helps stop soils re-bind together and
redeposit themselves onto the cleaned surface,
Builders keep soil particles in suspension which aids rinsing.
It is the combination of surfactants and builders which forms the basis of detergent formulation. What
else influences how detergents are compounded? There are three additional factors which determine the
effectiveness of a detergent formulation.
1. Agitation
2. Heat
3. Time
Maximum cleaning effectiveness of most detergents is achieved when the above three factors are
employed. If one factor is missing, the detergent formulation must compensate for this. For instance, this
is the reason for the difference between hand dishwashing liquid and machine dishwasher detergent. A
machine dishwasher uses more agitation and more time than would be used in hand dishwashing - hence
the need for two completely different detergent formulas. If you have ever tried using hand dish liquid in
a dishwashing machine, you will know the outcome -- all that extra agitation of the machine will produce
an enormous foam-filled dishwasher.
While a little knowledge of the basic principles of formulating detergents will help you understand the
processes involved, you don't need to be a chemistry graduate in order to start a business in this industry.
It is easy to follow professionally formulated compounds and start a highly profitable venture
manufacturing cleaning products, without any previous experience in this industry.
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