Cationic Surfactant Ingredients or Chemicals
Description of Cationic Surfactant: surfactants (Surface Active Ingredients) are materials used to lower the surface tension between different substances. They can function in many ways, such as dispersants, emulsifiers, detergents and wetting agents. Almost all Surfactants have the same structure, a long, hydrophobic tail and a hydrophilic head. The tails are almost identical in most surfactants, the difference lies mainly in the hydrophilic head. This head can either be non-ionic, anionic, cationic or amphoteric.
Cationic Surfactants contain a positively charged head. This makes them ideal for use as anti-static agents in hair care products and fabric softeners. Cationic Surfactants also exhibit some antimicrobial properties, making them great additives for soaps, cleaning sprays and surface cleaners. They cannot be used in combination with Anionic surfactants. Commonly used Cationic Surfactants are quaternary ammonium salts like CTAC (Cetrimonium Chloride), BTAC (Behentrimonium Chloride) and BAC. A special category Cationic Surfactants are Amine Oxides (for example IngreNox CP33), which act as non-ionic surfactant in neutral and alkaline conditions, however in acidic pH they act as Cationic Surfactants.