Institute of Textile Research and Industrial Cooperation of Terrassa. INTEXTER

Laboratory of Surfactants and Detergency

Responsible: Prof. Dr. Eng. Manuel José Lis Arias

Phone number: +34 93 739 82 77

Services

Surfactant agents

  • Measure of physicochemical properties (micellarization, humidification, foaming, emulsification, dispersion, etc.)
  • Application of the above products to textile finishing processes. Alterations of textile materials in finishing through the indicated products: dimensional stability, handle, capillarity, softness, colour differences, whiteness, yellowing, absorption kinetics, contact angles, imbibition power, water absorbant power by capillarity, etc.

Textile materials

  • Textile laundering processes, electrokinetic studies (zeta potential). Laundering degradation.

Textile detergency

  • Parameters related to use of surfactants and builders, the laundering conditions and the complementary operations of drying, ironing and softening such as: detergent power, scales, whiteness, colour, dimensional variation, handle, soil redeposition, wash-and-wear assays.

Particle size and stability of emulsions, micro-emulsions and dispersions.



Courses

  • Application of surfactants in textile industry.
  • Physicochemistry of surfactants.
  • Textile detergency.
  • Colloidal physicochemistry.

 

R&D lines

  • Physicochemistry of surfactants and of textile detergency.
  • Evaluation of detergents and optimization of laundering processes.
  • Application of surfactants to textile finishing processes.
  • Formation of double electrical layers, electro-kinetic phenomena.
  • Characterization of surfactants and applications to interfacial phenomena.