Wetting agents reduce the surface tension of liquids, allowing them to spread more easily on solid surfaces. They can be known as surfactants and contain dispersants and emulsifiers. Wetting agents create micelles, which allow liquids to penetrate solids. They are found in cleaning products and laxatives, and are used in pesticides and paint.
A wetting agent is a chemical compound that reduces the surface tension of a liquid. The surface tension of a liquid is the tendency of the molecules of a liquid to bond and is determined by the strength of the bonds between the molecules of the liquid. A wetting agent stretches these bonds and decreases the molecules’ tendency to hold together, which allows the liquid to spread more easily across any solid surface.
A wetting agent can also be known as a surfactant, which is a type of chemical that alters the properties of liquids, because it causes changes in the surface tension of the liquid. Surfactants can also contain dispersants, which are chemicals that separate oil and water, and emulsifiers, which combine oily liquids with water. Wetting agents can consist of a variety of chemicals, all with this voltage-lowering effect.
When the wetting agent is applied, it causes the liquid to create particles called micelles, which allow the liquid to penetrate the solid. Micelles are made up of water-attracting molecules and water-repelling molecules. In water, the micelles assemble into a large cluster where the water-attracting molecules form a ring with the water-repelling molecules in the center. When the wetting agent is used in oily liquids, the structure of this micelle is reversed as the water repellent molecules are on the outside of the ring because they are attracted to the oily liquid, and the water attracting molecules are repelled by the oily liquid.
Most people come into contact with wetting agents on a regular basis, as many are for personal use. Others, which are not meant for personal use, may contain much more aggressive chemicals. Wetting agents are used in a number of cleaning products, such as detergents, shampoos, conditioners and soaps, which are typically used with water. These chemical compounds are very useful for decreasing the surface tension of water and spreading the water on the solid surfaces it comes into contact with, such as clothing, skin and hair.
Some humectant agents are actually used inside the human body. Laxatives are just one example of a wetting agent used internally. Since dehydration of the intestinal tract can often cause constipation, adding a wetting agent can help address this problem by applying water to the affected intestinal material. Toothpaste may also contain humectant agents, although swallowing toothpaste is generally not recommended.
Examples of chemical compounds more aggressive than wetting agents can include pesticides, herbicides and insecticides. Wetting agents are used in these products to allow other harmful chemicals present in these products to penetrate the solid to which they are applied. This type of liquid chemical application is also used in paint to decrease its surface tension so that it applies more easily to the solid surface being painted.
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