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Palm Oil Removal from Fabric Using Microemulsion-Based Formulations

  • Original Article
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Journal of Surfactants and Detergents

Abstract

Laundry detergency of palm oil on a polyester/cotton blend was measured using an anionic extended surfactant/nonionic secondary alcohol surfactant blend under conditions corresponding to ultralow oil/water interfacial tension microemulsion formation. The oil removal for the surfactant blend could exceed 90%, which was greater than that for either component surfactant alone or for a commercial liquid laundry detergent. Presoaking produced better detergency than increasing the number of wash cycles beyond two due to fabric abrasion (leading to a brightness decrease) with an excessive number of wash cycles. Higher oil contact angles and shorter oil droplet detachment times were found to correspond to higher detergency. High speed photography showed that snap-off occurred rather than roll-up for these systems.

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Acknowledgments

The Royal Golden Jubilee Ph.D. Program (RGJ) and The TRF-Master Research Grant under The Thailand Research Fund are greatly acknowledged for providing scholarships for the first and second authors. The research facilities and financial support were particularly provided by the Center for Petroleum, Petrochemicals, and Advanced Materials under the Ministry of Education and the Research Unit of Applied Surfactants for Separation and Pollution Control under the Rachadapisek Somphoch Fund, Chulalongkorn University, respectively. The PTT-Chemical Group also financially supported this research. In addition, the industrial sponsors of the Institute for Applied Surfactant Research, University of Oklahoma, are acknowledged. They are Akzo Nobel, Clorox, Conoco/Phillips, Church and Dwight, Ecolab, Haliburton, Huntsman, Oxiteno, Procter & Gamble, Sasol North America, SC Johnson and Shell Chemical.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Petroleum and Petrochemical College, Chulalongkorn University, Phayathai Rd., Pathumwan, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand

    Parichat Tanthakit, Pantipa Ratchatawetchakul & Sumaeth Chavadej

  2. Center for Petroleum, Petrochemicals and Advanced Materials, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand

    Sumaeth Chavadej

  3. Institute for Applied Surfactant Research, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA

    John F. Scamehorn & David A. Sabatini

  4. Environmental Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

    Chantra Tongcumpou

Authors
  1. Parichat Tanthakit
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  2. Pantipa Ratchatawetchakul
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  3. Sumaeth Chavadej
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  4. John F. Scamehorn
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  5. David A. Sabatini
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  6. Chantra Tongcumpou
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Correspondence to Sumaeth Chavadej.

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Tanthakit, P., Ratchatawetchakul, P., Chavadej, S. et al. Palm Oil Removal from Fabric Using Microemulsion-Based Formulations. J Surfact Deterg 13, 485–495 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11743-010-1219-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11743-010-1219-2

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