Editing Surfactant (section)

{{Short description |Substance that lowers the surface tension between a liquid and another material}}
{{Use dmy dates|date= December 2015}}

[[File:A lipid micelle.png|thumb|[[Schematic]] diagram of a [[micelle]] of oil in aqueous suspension, such as might occur in an [[emulsion]] of oil in water. In this example, the surfactant molecules' oil-soluble tails project into the oil (blue), while the water-soluble ends remain in contact with the water phase (red).]]

'''Surfactants''' are [[chemical compounds]] that decrease the [[surface tension]] or interfacial tension between two [[liquid]]s, a liquid and a [[gas]], or a liquid and a [[solid]]. The word ''surfactant'' is a [[Blend word|blend]] of "surface-active agent",<ref name="Rosen MJ">
{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1rCdNIzB78AC |title=Surfactants and Interfacial Phenomena |vauthors=Rosen MJ, Kunjappu JT |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |year=2012 |isbn=978-1-118-22902-6 |edition=4th |location=Hoboken, New Jersey |page=1 |quote=A surfactant (a contraction of '''''surf'''ace-'''act'''ive '''a'''ge'''nt''''') is a substance that, when present at low concentration in a system, has the property of adsorbing onto the surfaces or interfaces of the system and of altering to a marked degree the surface or interfacial free energies of those surfaces (or interfaces). |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170108051750/https://books.google.com/books?id=1rCdNIzB78AC&printsec=frontcover |archive-date=8 January 2017 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}
</ref> coined in 1950.<ref>
{{oed | surfactant}} – "A new word, Surfactants, has been coined by Antara Products, General Aniline & Film Corporation, and has been presented to the chemical industry to cover all materials that have surface activity, including wetting agents, dispersants, emulsifiers, detergents and foaming agents."
</ref> As they consist of a water-repellent and a water-attracting part, they enable water and oil to mix; they can form foam and facilitate the detachment of dirt. 

Surfactants are among the most widespread and commercially important chemicals. Private households as well as many industries use them in large quantities as [[detergent|detergents and cleaning agent]]s, but also for example as [[emulsion#Emulsifiers|emulsifiers]], [[wetting]] agents, [[foaming agent]]s, [[Antistatic agent|antistatic]] additives, or [[dispersant]]s. 

Surfactants occur naturally in traditional plant-based detergents, e.g. [[Aesculus|horse chestnuts]] or [[Sapindus|soap nuts]]; they can also be found in the secretions of some caterpillars. Today one of the most commonly used anionic surfactants, linear alkylbenzene sulfates (LAS), are produced from [[Petroleum product|petroleum products]]. However, surfactants are increasingly produced in whole or in part from renewable [[biomass]], like sugar, fatty alcohol from vegetable oils, by-products of biofuel production, or other biogenic material.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |title=Biobased Surfactants Market Report: Market Analysis |url=https://ceresana.com/en/produkt/biobased-surfactants-market-report-world |access-date=2024-01-05 |website=Ceresana Market Research |language=en-US}}</ref>
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