What is the degreasing principle of degreaser?

The degreasing principle of degreasing agent mainly includes the following aspects:

Emulsification

The surfactant molecules in the degreaser have lipophilic groups and hydrophilic groups. The lipophilic groups attract the grease molecules, while the hydrophilic groups interact with the water molecules. In this way, the surfactant molecules will be arranged in a directional manner at the interface between grease and water, wrapping the grease to form tiny oil droplets, which are dispersed in the water, so that the grease loses its adhesion to the surface of the object, achieving the purpose of removing grease.

Saponification

For degreasing agents containing alkaline ingredients, saponification reaction will occur when they come into contact with oils and fats. Oils and fats are usually ester compounds composed of fatty acids and glycerol. Under alkaline conditions, the ester bonds will be hydrolyzed to produce fatty acid salts and glycerol. Fatty acid salts have good water solubility and can be washed away by water, thereby achieving the effect of degreasing and decontamination. This saponification reaction is particularly effective for animal and plant oils and fats.

Osmosis

The degreasing agent can penetrate into the tiny gap between the oil stain and the surface of the object, reducing the bonding force between the oil stain and the surface of the object, making the oil stain easier to remove. At the same time, the penetration effect can also make the degreasing agent better contact with the inside of the oil stain, improving the degreasing effect.

Dispersion

Degreasing agents can further disperse the emulsified or saponified oil into smaller particles, preventing them from re-aggregating on the surface of objects. These tiny oil particles can be carried away with the water flow, thus achieving the purpose of thorough decontamination.

Solubilization

Some ingredients in degreasing agents can form micelles in aqueous solution. When oil molecules enter the micelles, they are solubilized in the micelles and are then dissolved and removed by water. This solubilization effect can also have a certain degreasing effect on some oils that are difficult to emulsify or saponify.