Application of Silicone Surfactant Along with Hydrocarbon Surfactants to Textile Washing for the Removal of Different Complex Stains

摘要

The present work reports the application of trisiloxane polyether silicone surfactant to remove various stains along with a range of hydrocarbon (organic) surfactants to investigate whether silicone surfactants offer synergism or antagonism during the cotton fabric cleaning process. Cotton fabric was soiled with red wine, turmeric, permanent marker, acrylic paint, and coffee and washed with the original fabric in aqueous solutions of individual surfactant and blend of surfactants by applying the conventional shaking washing method. The detergency and soil redeposition were determined from the alteration in the surface reflectance of prepared stained fabrics and the original fabric after washing. Surfactants used for the washing were trisiloxane polyether silicone surfactant (AG-Platinum), sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate, lauryl alcohol ethoxylate (LA-10), and nonylphenol ethoxylate (NP-10) and their blends. In comparison with individual hydrocarbon surfactants, blends of surfactants (with different hydrocarbon to silicone surfactant ratios) dislodged stains (accumulated on the fabric as a result of staining) effectively at shorter time and at lower bath ratio because of superior surface properties. With increasing concentration of surfactant, detergency increased and reached a maximum at the critical micelle concentration (CMC). Silicone surfactant reduced the CMCs of the surfactant blends and provided better detergency at lower concentration. From this study, it was found that silicone surfactant could be successfully introduced into laundry detergent formulations.