The study of the foaming ability of some surfactants

Abstract

Natural and synthetic surfactants are an essential component in the foaming compositions. The ability to absorption at the interphase boundary and aggregation in the bulk solution is significant for each surfactant [6,7]. Adsorbing at interfaces and forming micelles the surfactants contribute to dissolution, emulsification, foaming and some other processes that occur in solutions [4].Along with the surface activity of the surfactant itself, the foaming ability of a surfactant is characterized by the mechanical strength and viscosity of the films formed [2,4,6].Methods for determining the ability of the foaming ability can be divided into static and dynamic although this division is rather conventional; and taking into account the equipment used in the studies in some cases there is no difference between these methods [5,6]. Determination by dynamic methods is carried out under continuous mechanical action on the solution to prevent the possibility of running off the foam from it [3,5]. Under dynamic conditions the volume of the foam measured is determined by the ratio between the rate of its formation and its destruction, and the volume of foam under static conditions is dependent on the speed of bubbles dissolution. The foaming ability of surfactant solutions is the characteristic that must be considered when developing foam formulations. This is due to the fact that formation of a stable foam is a guarantee of quality of the foam formulation.The aim of this study was to investigate the foaming ability of some surfactants determining such indicators as the height of the foam column and foam stability. Materials that MethodsThe foaming ability of the surfactant solutions was determined on a Ross-Miles device at 50±2°C according to the GOST 22567.1-77 [1].The objects of the study were such surfactants as sodium lauryl sulfate, emulsifier No.1, OС 20 (macrogol cetostearyl ester), polysorbate 80, sorbitan laurate, sodium docusate, PEG 6 stearate (glycol stearate), sucrose palmitate, PEG 75 stearate (cetyl alcohol (and) glyceryl stearate), сocamidopropylbetaine, PEG 100 stearate (glyceryl stearate and PEG 100 stearate), glyceryl laurate, distilled monoglycerides, wax emulsion, dodecyl dipropylene triamine, polysorbate 20, dodecyl-dimethyl ammonium chloride, polyhexamethyleneguanidine, miramistin.Test solutions were prepared with the surfactant concentration of 7%.Results and Discussion Fig. 1 (A , B, C, D) presents the results of our studies in the form of a graphical dependence of the height of the foam column on time (300 s).A comparative analysis of the data in Fig. 1 shows that the indicator of the height of the foam column of such surfactants as PEG 6 stearate, PEG 75 stearate, PEG 100 stearate, wax emulsion, emulsifier No.1, distilled monoglycerides, sucrose palmitate and glyceryl laurate is inferior to the height of the foam column of such surfactants as sodium lauryl sulfate, OC 20, polysorbate 80, sorbitan laurate, sodium docusate, сocami-dopropylbetaine, dodecyl dipropylene triamine, polysorbate 20, dodec...