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News tagged with detergents

New cotton fabric stays waterproof through 250 washes

(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists in Shanghai in China, have developed a waterproof cotton fabric that remains waterproof after going through a domestic wash at least 250 times.

Chemistry / Materials Science

created Oct 28, 2010 | popularity 4.6 / 5 (14) | comments 10 | with audio podcast report

New process improves catalytic rate of enzymes by 3,000 percent

Light of specific wavelengths can be used to boost an enzyme's function by as much as 30 fold, potentially establishing a path to less expensive biofuels, detergents and a host of other products.

Chemistry / Materials Science

created Apr 17, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (13) | comments 8 | with audio podcast

New uses for diesel by-products

(PhysOrg.com) -- A new catalytic process discovered by the Cardiff Catalysis Institute could unleash a range of useful new by-products from diesel fuel production.

Chemistry / Materials Science

created Jan 25, 2012 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Researchers unlock bacteria's beneficial side

Researchers now understand how bacteria can break down phosphonic acids, persistent and potentially hazardous environmental pollutants found in many common medicinal products, detergents and herbicides.

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

created Nov 28, 2011 | popularity not rated yet | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Advance could mean stain-busting super scrub brushes and other new laundry products

Scientists are reporting development and successful testing of a way to reuse -- hundreds of times -- the expensive, dirt-busting enzymes that boost the cleaning power of laundry detergents and powdered bleaches that now ...

Chemistry / Biochemistry

created Apr 18, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Environmentally friendly cleaning and washing

More and more everyday products are based on renewable resources, with household cleaners now containing active cleaning substances made from plant oils and sugar. These fat and dirt removers are especially ...

Chemistry / Materials Science

created Mar 09, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

New nanoparticles could revolutionize therapeutic drug discovery

A revolutionary new protein stabilisation technique has been developed by scientists funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council which could lead to 30 per cent more proteins being available as potential ...

Nanotechnology / Bio & Medicine

created Jun 25, 2009 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

'Emerging contaminants of concern' detected throughout Narragansett Bay watershed

A group of hazardous chemical compounds that are common in industrial processes and personal care products but which are not typically monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency have been detected throughout the Narragansett ...

Space & Earth / Environment

created Sep 21, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

China to release pollution-fighting fish in lake

Authorities in eastern China have said they will release 20 million algae-eating fish into one of the nation's most scenic lakes that has been ravaged by pollution.

Biology / Ecology

created Feb 23, 2010 | popularity 3 / 5 (5) | comments 1

Scented laundry products emit hazardous chemicals through dryer vents

The same University of Washington researcher who used chemical sleuthing to deduce what's in fragranced consumer products now has turned her attention to the scented air wafting from household laundry vents.

Space & Earth / Environment

created Aug 24, 2011 | popularity 4.2 / 5 (5) | comments 2

Neutrons answer shampoo formulation puzzle

(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists at the Institut Laue-Langevin have used neutrons to solve a long-standing mystery about the surface properties of polyelectrolyte/surfactant mixtures, such as those used in many ...

Chemistry / Analytical Chemistry

created Dec 12, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 1

Secrets of scents: Designing the smells that sell household products

Crafting a fragrance for detergents that leaves laundry smelling clean and fresh. Developing a room freshener, scented oil, or scented candle that whispers "cool spring air." Giving toothpaste or mouthwash ...

Chemistry / Other

created Aug 24, 2010 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

The Long and the Short of Acrylate Polymerization

(PhysOrg.com) -- Used in such diverse applications as adhesives, detergents, and super-absorbent disposable diapers, polyacrylates are key polymers, but the mechanisms of their formation are complex and have ...

Chemistry / Polymers

created Sep 22, 2009 | popularity 3 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Household detergents, shampoos may form harmful substance in waste water

Scientists are reporting evidence that certain ingredients in shampoo, detergents and other household cleaning agents may be a source of precursor materials for formation of a suspected cancer-causing contaminant ...

Space & Earth / Environment

created Apr 07, 2010 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (4) | comments 0

Capsules that clean: New-look laundry detergents head for supermarket shelves

Consumers who remember laundry detergents from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s are about to get that déjà vu feeling — and younger people quite a surprise — as detergent manufacturers once again try a major ...

Chemistry / Other

created Jan 25, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 2

Detergent

A detergent is a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants with "cleaning properties in dilute solutions." In common usage, "detergent" refers to alkylbenzenesulfonates, a family of compounds that are similar to soap but are less affected by hard water. In most household contexts, the term detergent by itself refers specifically to laundry detergent or dish detergent, as opposed to hand soap or other types of cleaning agents. Detergents are commonly available as powders or concentrated solutions. Detergents work because they are amphiphilic - partly hydrophilic (polar) and partly hydrophobic (non-polar). Their dual nature facilitates the mixture of hydrophobic compounds (like oil and grease) with water. Because air is not hydrophillic, detergents are also foaming agents to varying degrees. Completely non-polar solvents known as degreasers can also remove hydrophobic contaminants but may not dissolve in water because of a lack of polar elements.

For more information about Detergent, read the full article at Wikipedia.
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