Nonionic Wetting Agents
Nonionic wetting agents are uncharged molecules: their solubility comes from the ethoxylate chain, they do not precipitate in hard water, and they can share a bath with cationic products. Their upper working limit is set by the cloud point. Four products in this family.
What does a nonionic wetting agent wet with?
Nonionic surfactants carry no charge; their water solubility comes from the ethoxylate chain on the molecule rather than from an ionic group. The longer the chain, the higher the solubility and the better the product washes; the shorter the chain, the higher the surface activity and the faster it wets. Most of the difference between products on the market comes down to where that balance is struck.
Carrying no charge buys two things in practice. They do not precipitate calcium salts in hard water, and they can share a bath with cationic products. Where an anionic wetting agent and a cationic softener cannot meet, a nonionic causes no trouble.
What is the cloud point and why does it matter?
Heat a nonionic solution and at some temperature it goes cloudy; the molecule loses its bond with the water and starts to form a separate phase. That temperature is the cloud point, and it sets the upper working limit of the product.
Two points get missed on the shop floor. First, the highest wetting power is usually obtained just below the cloud point, which is where the product is most active. Second, electrolyte in the bath pulls the cloud point down. In a recipe carrying caustic, soda ash or salt, the product separates at a lower temperature than it does in pure water, which is why lab trials have to be run with the real bath composition.
Can it share a bath with a cationic product?
It can, and that is one of the family's most concrete advantages. Cationic softeners, cationic fixing agents and some cationic levelling agents do not precipitate with a nonionic wetting agent. Where a recipe needs wetting and a cationic function in the same bath, this family is the only option.
The one condition is temperature: take the bath above the cloud point and the product separates, at which point ionic compatibility counts for nothing.
Wetting agent or washing agent?
The two functions overlap in this family. Short ethoxylate chains wet quickly but carry little soil. Longer chains wash better, emulsify and hold spin finish in the liquor; in return they wet more slowly and tend to foam more.
In pre-wash and in the step ahead of desizing, wetting and washing are both wanted, so types with detergency are preferred. In a bleach bath the priority is fast, even wetting.
Concentrated types do the same job at a lower dosage. They cut freight and storage cost, but dilution and dosing accuracy matter more: pending from the client.
Product comparison
Comparison
| Product | Description | Cloud point | Working pH range | Temperature | Dosage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DK WET N 30 | Nonionic wetting agent | awaiting data | awaiting data | awaiting data | awaiting data |
| DK WET N 60 | Nonionic wetting agent | awaiting data | awaiting data | awaiting data | awaiting data |
| DK WET P 25 | Nonionic wetting and washing agent | awaiting data | awaiting data | awaiting data | awaiting data |
| DK WET P 300 | Concentrated nonionic wetting and washing agent | awaiting data | awaiting data | awaiting data | awaiting data |
Products
- DK WET N 30
Nonionic wetting agent: an uncharged surfactant that will not precipitate in hard water and shares a bath with cationics.
- DK WET N 60
Nonionic wetting agent whose longer ethoxylate chain carries washing power alongside its wetting performance.
- DK WET P 25
Nonionic wetting and washing agent covering wetting and the emulsification of oily soil from a single item.
- DK WET P 300
Concentrated nonionic wetting and washing agent giving the same effect at low dosage, with less storage and packaging.
Common questions
Can a nonionic wetting agent be used in a caustic bath?
At moderate concentrations, yes, but electrolyte lowers the cloud point so the product can separate earlier than expected. For concentrated caustic work such as mercerising, a mercerising wetting agent is used instead of this family.
Do nonionic wetting agents foam?
It depends on the structure. Types with strong detergency foam more, which can disturb circulation in jets and overflow machines. Low-foaming types are preferred, with an antifoam added to the bath where needed.
Is there a difference in result between a concentrate and a standard grade?
At the correct dosage the result is the same; the difference is unit cost, freight and storage volume. A dosing error weighs more heavily with a concentrate, so they suit mills with automatic dosing.
Other families in this category
Related applications
Guides on these products
Not finding what you need?
We develop custom formulations. Tell us your process, machine type and the result you are after, and the lab will set up a trial and send a sample.