What are the types of detergents?
Posted July 28, 2021
Answer
There are 4 types of detergents based on their electrical charge:
- Anionic detergents – Anionic detergents have a net negative electrical charge. This is because of the negatively-charged sulfate groups in the hydrophilic head.
- Cationic detergents – Cationic detergents have a net positive electrical charge. This is because of the positively-charged ammonium group in the hydrophilic head.
- Non-ionic detergents – Non-ionic detergents contain an uncharged hydrophilic group.
- Zwitterionic detergents – Zwitterionic detergents have equal numbers of positive and negative charges, so their net charge is zero.
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