Foaming properties of nonionic detergents

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Abstract
The foam formation and foam stability of aqueous solutions of polyoxyethylene tridecanols, t‐octylphenols, nonylphenols, n‐dodecanols, and n‐octadecanols have been determined as a function of ethylene oxide chain length. In general nonionic detergents form unstable foams; the most stable foams formed by nonionic detergents are comparable to that of sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate in the absence of foam promoters. In each homologous series of a nonionic detergent the foam formation and foam stability pass through a max at a critical hydrophilic‐hydrophobic balance (CHHB). It is shown that the CHHB corresponds to conditions of minimum foam drainage and max resistance to film rupture.