The fundamental principle of its operation is hydrophilicity.-Water balanceHLB)HLBValue is a numerical measure of the strength of a surfactant molecule's hydrophilicity or lipophilicity.HLBThe lower the value,0-9indicating stronger lipophilicity.HLBThe higher the value,11-20), it indicates stronger hydrophilicity. For example,HLBValue is in3-6The surfactant is suitable for preparing water-in-oil (W/O) and the cream,HLBValue is in8-18is suitable for creating water-in-oil emulsions (O/W) lotion.

Based on this parent structure, surfactants develop a variety of critical functions: 1. Dispersion: The process of dividing solid particles and stably suspending them in a liquid to prevent aggregation and sedimentation. This is crucial in the coatings and pigments industry. 2. Emulsification: The process of stably dispersing one liquid (such as oil) in the form of tiny droplets into another immiscible liquid (such as water) to form an emulsion. Milk, salad dressing, and skincare creams are typical examples of emulsification. 3. Foaming and Defoaming: Surfactants can adsorb at the gas--At the liquid interface, the formation and stabilization of foam are desirable characteristics in products like shampoo and toothpaste. However, in industrial cleaning or antibiotic fermentation processes, excessive foam is detrimental, necessitating the use of specific low-foaming or defoaming surfactants. 4. Wetting: Reducing the contact angle between a liquid and a solid surface, making it easier for the liquid to spread over the solid surface. This is crucial in pesticide spraying, textile printing and dyeing, and cosmetic research and development.

Surfactants have been widely applied in numerous fields such as detergents, cosmetics, food, pharmaceuticals, and petroleum extraction, becoming indispensable in modern industry and daily life."Industrial MSG".