This comprehensive reference introduces the reader to the preparation, uses, and physical chemistry of silicone surfactants, focusing on silicone polyoxyalkylene copolymers that are surface active in both aqueous and nonaqueous systems. The book discusses applications in the manufacture of polyurethane foam, coatings, wetting agents, fabric finishes, and polymer surface modifiers.

Silicone Surfactants presents uses of organosilicone—polyether copolymer surfactants in packaging, insulation, appliances, and other products; explores interfacial processes, surface viscoelasticity, and surfactant aggregation; assesses surface properties of silicone-containing copolymers; explains the unusual wetting behavior of the trisiloxane surfactants and the ternary phase behavior of mixtures of silicone surfactants with water and silicone oils; and more.

From the Preface: “...The emphasis throughout the volume is on understanding and insight rather than formulary presentations...I hope it will be valuable to those seeking to make use of silicone surfactants in diverse applications as well as to researchers seeking to better understand fundamental surfactancy phenomena by examining the differences and similarities between hydrocarbon and silicone surfactants.”

Target Audience: Physical, colloid, surface, and polymer chemists; researchers in plastics, fibers, and coatings; cosmetic scientists and technologists; chemical engineers; and upper-level students in these disciplines.

Table of Contents:

Siloxane Surfactants

Silicone Polyether Copolymers: Synthetic Methods and Chemical Compositions

Novel Siloxane Surfactant Structures

Surface Activity and Aggregation Behavior of Siloxane Surfactants

The Science of Silicone Surfactant Application in the Formation of Polyurethane Foam

Silicone Polymers for Foam Control and Demulsification

Silicone Surfactants: Applications in the Personal Care Industry

Silicone Surfactants: Emulsification

Use of Organosilicone Surfactants as Agrichemical Adjuvants

Polymer Surface Modifiers

Surfactant-Enhanced Spreading

Ternary Phase Behavior of Mixtures of Siloxane Surfactants, Silicone Oils, and Water

Index