Detergents

• Detergents or cleaning/washing compounds are substances capable of assisting perfect cleaning.

Types of detergents

1) Alkalies;

• NAOH( caustic soda 0.5% solution, washing soda (NA ₂CO₃ ), sodium

sulphate, strong alkalis are used to saponify the fats and weak alkalis are used to dissolve proteins.

2) Acid detergents:

• strong acids may be used in not more than1% concentration and generally used to clean the steel surface.
• Mild or weak acids are used for removal of milk stone.
• Strong acids are nitric acid, sulphuric acid. Mild acids are phosphoric acids, citric, tartaric, and gluconic acid.

3) Polyphosphate:

• These are used together with acids or alkalies
• , tetraphosphate hexametaphosphate, tripolyphosphate etc.

4) Surface active agents:

• These are used alone in consumption with acids alkalies,
• teepol, acinal, and common soaps.