PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF DETERGENCY

This review considers the detergency process from the standpoints of surface and colloid chemistry. The principles concerned in the deposition and adhesion of particulate and oily soil to fabrics are set out and the possibilities of movement of these soils within the fabric are considered in some detail, the emphasis being on oily soil movement and location. The experimental approach to detergency is then discussed, attention being focused mainly on those approaches which provide physical/surface chemical insights into the fundamental processes involved. Discussions on the theoretical aspects of the deposition and removal of oily and particulate soils are presented, and consideration is given to the different oily soil removal mechanisms of roll-up and emulsification. Finally, a brief account of the detergency of oil in situ, i.e. by mechanisms independent of adhesion considerations, is given.