This text offers a comprehensive survey of surfactants and their properties, with a strong emphasis on applications and their correlation to the fundamentals. It covers their classification, physical properties, phase behavior, adsorption, effects — including wetting, spreading, and adhesion — as well as industrial applications in personal care and cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and food products. The author uses his extensive industrial experience in colloid and surfactant science to close the gap between surfactant fundamentals and their relevance and applications in practice.

From the Preface: “...[I]n order to enable the chemist to choose the right molecule for a specific application, it is essential to understand the basic phenomena involved in any application. Thus, the basic principles involved in preparation and stabilization of the various disperse systems used — namely emulsions, suspensions, microemulsions, nano-emulsions, and foams — need to be addressed in the various chapters concerned with these systems. Furthermore, it is essential to give a brief description and classification of the various surfactants used...The applied side of the book is also not comprehensive, since several other industries were not described, e.g., paints, paper coatings, inks, ceramics, etc. Describing the application of surfactants in these industries would have made the text too long...”

Target Audience: Industrial or academic scientists, technologists, research chemists, and upper-level students who require a solid understanding of surfactants and their applications.

Table of Contents:

Introduction

Physical Chemistry of Surfactant Solutions

Phase Behavior of Surfactant Systems

Adsorption of Surfactants at the Air/Liquid and Liquid/Liquid Interfaces

Adsorption of Surfactants and Polymeric Surfactants at the Solid/Liquid Interface

Applications of Surfactants in Emulsion Formation and Stabilisation

Surfactants as Dispersants and Stabilisation of Suspensions

Surfactants in Foams

Surfactants in Nano-Emulsions

Microemulsions

Role of Surfactants in Wetting, Spreading and Adhesion

Surfactants in Personal Care and Cosmetics

Surfactants in Pharmaceutical Formulations

Applications of Surfactants in Agrochemicals

Surfactants in the Food Industry

Index