Abstract:
Oleic acid based nonionic Gemini surfactants with 20 and 30 polyoxyethylene head groups (FE-1020E, FE-1030E), methyl ester sulfonates, anionic surfactants (MES) with different alkyl chain lengths (C14, C16 and C18), and methyl ester ethoxylates, nonionic surfactants (MEE) with different ethylene oxide groups (8EO, 14EO and 18EO), were used in this oily detergency study. The aim of this research was to investigate the detergency performance of single and mixed surfactant systems by using palm oil as a model oily soil. According to the results, MEE-8EO showed the highest oil removal greater than 54% as compared to 38% for the commercial liquid detergence. Moreover, it was confirmed that the lowest oil re-deposition value corresponded to the highest oil removal. However, in the mixed surfactant systems (MEE/ MES, and Gemini/MES) were not suitable for use as a detergent solution when compared with the single surfactant systems, in terms of oil removal and re-deposition.
