Aderco: A Powerful Surfactant

All liquids found in nature are classified as either polar or non-polar. Only liquids of the same nature can be blended satisfactorily and retain their consistency. Under normal circumstances a polar liquid cannot be blended with a non-polar liquid and remain homogeneous – the two will separate and stratify, as do water and fuel oil.

Surfactants have both attributes, polar and non-polar, within the same structure. They form an ideal intermediary for making polar and non-polar liquids compatible.

This characteristic also means that surfactants do not disperse evenly throughout the mixture, as would salt in water, for example. Instead, they seek out interfaces and/or discontinuities.

Surfactant molecules essentially act like magnets and their orientation is determined by the nature (either polar or non-polar) of the interface.

The surfactant film at the interface of two liquids of different natures reduces interfacial tension. It is this phenomenon, which allows for solutions to be created from two liquids of different natures.

Water/soap explanation: in stage 1, water will not accept fat, since water is polar, and fat is non-polar. 2. soap is added, and it quickly forms a layer on the greasy surfaces. Within seconds, the detergent lifts the grease particles from the plate and envelops them completely.

The detergent’s final action is to reduce interfacial tension: large fat droplets are broken down into very tiny ones and dispersed throughout the water.

This, in a nutshell, is how Aderco 2055G functions in fuels: it breaks down agglomerations and disperses the tiny particles finely throughout, delivering benefits from tank to funnel.

?If you would like to learn more about how Aderco fuel conditioning products would benefit your machinery, get in touch [email protected]