Color Removal Efficiency of Various Commercially Available Surfactants

Lugod, Cyril Benedict V.

Koa Lee, Jessica J.
Ocampo, Oliver Ian C.
Ong Hian Huy, Tiffany Joy T.

AbstractThis experiment comparatively analyzes the efficiency of five different brands of commercially available
surfactants, namely Ariel, Champion, Surf, Tide, and a generic brand. The samples were treated with a dyed cloth and the
absorbance pre-treatment and post-treatment were measured using a UV spectrophotometer. The sample of Surf detergent
yielded the highest color removal ability among the brands tested with a value of 76.84%. The effect of the concentration
of the detergent solution on the color removal ability of the solution was also tested. The results produced a direct and linear
relationship between the absorbance of the detergent solution with its concentration.

Introduction
In order to determine which commercially available surfactants prove to be more effective
in removing stains from cloth, five different surfactants will be tested using the spectrophotometer.
The analysis involving the correlation between the color of the solution and its
concentration can be modified using a spectrophotometer to make a more accurate measurement
of the absorbance of the standard and sample solutions. The surfactant will be mixed with dye and
the transparency of each solution will display the efficiency of the surfactant in decolorizing dyes
from cloth. The spectrophotometer will measure the absorbance of light as it passes through the
sample. The absorbance may be measured as a function of concentration. Beer-Lamberts Law
summarizes the correlation:
1

A=log10 =log10

A= Ed
Where, A =absorbance
T= Transmittance
Io= Intensity or light entering the solution
I= Intensity or light leaving the solution
E= absorptivity, L/molcm or 1/Mcm
C= concentration, U
L= path length, cm

Materials and Methods

1. Surfactants- detergents like Ariel, tide, etc.
2. Beaker - A wide glass, with a lip for pouring, that is used especially for measuring liquids
3. Spectrophotometer - used to measure the relative intensities or light in different parts of a
spectrum
4. Dye - a colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is applied
Properties
MP: 273 K
BP: 373 K
SG: 1.00
MW: 18.02 g/mol
Liquid at STP

Hazards
N/A

Disposal
Sink

5. Distilled Water (H2O)

6. Pipettes - glassware used to get a specific volume of a liquid
7. Dropper - used to get a certain volume of a liquid of detergent in a water solution
Methods:
1. Make 5% (w/w) aqueous solution of surfactants
2. Make a 1% (v/v) dye solution.
3. Drop 0.5 mL of dye solution to each of the surfactant solutions and test the samples
using the spectrophotometer (=575 nm).
4. Choose the best brand from the samples based on the data and make another set of
samples with 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 (% w/w) concentrations.
5. Drop 0.5 mL of the dye solution to each surfactant concentrations and test the
samples.
Data and Calculations
The values of the absorbances without the dyes correspond to the absorbances of the
untreated detergent solutions. After addition of the dyed cloth into the solutions, the absorbances
increase depending on the brand. The mass transfer of the dye from the stained cloth to the
detergent solution is quantitavely described by the absorbance of the solution. The brand with the
highest absorbance qualifies as the brand with the most efficient color removal ability among the
brands tested.

Table 1. Absorbance of various brands at 5% (v/v)

Brand
Ariel
Champion
Generic
Surf
Tide
Dye
Water

Absorbance w/o dye

(AU)
1.781
0.132
0.623
1.425
2.013

Absorbance w/ dye
(AU)
1.829
0.135
0.709
2.520
2.039
2.880
0.074

% increase in
absorbance
2.695%
2.273%
13.80%
76.84%
1.292%

Brand comparison by absorbance

% incraase in absorbance

76.84%

13.80%
2.70%

2.27%

ARIEL

CHAMPION

1.29%

GENERIC

SURF

TIDE

Brands

Figure 1. Brand comparison by absorbance at 5% (v/v)

The results yielded a 76.84% increase in absorbance for Surf. The color removal efficiency
of Surf trumps the other competitors in this aspect.

Table 2. Concentrations of Surf solutions

Concentration

Absorbance w/o dye

Absorbance w/ dye

1
2
5
10
15

0.346
0.615
1.420
2.771
4.121

0.401
0.875
2.521
4.974
7.460

% increase in
absorbance
15.90%
42.28%
77.46%
79.50%
81.02%

Absorbance vs. Concentration of Surf Powder

8
y = 0.5049x - 0.0861
R = 0.9997

Absorbance (AU)

6
5
4
3

y = 0.2697x + 0.0748
R = 1

2
1
0
0

10

12

14

16

Concentration (%v/v)
Absorbance w/o dye

Absorbance w/ dye

Graph 1. Comparison of the absorbances of different concentrations with and without dye

With Surf being the best candidate for color removal efficiency, it is elected for the
determination of the effect of absorbance with different concentrations of detergent. There is a
direct and linear relationship between the absorbance of a detergent solution with its concentration.
The rate of increase of absorbance with the concentration of the solution is greater upon addition
of the dyed cloth. The difference of the absorbances with and without dye for a certain
concentration describes the intensity of the color removal efficiency of the solution. A larger
difference translates to a better decolorizing ability for the certain concentration. The increasing
difference between the absorbances with and without dye as the concentration increases verifies
the experimentally determined relationship.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Among the brands of commercially available surfactants tested, Surf yielded the highest
color removal ability. This is characterized by a higher absorbance reading after treatment with a
controlled concentration and volume of dye. There is a direct and linear relationship between the
absorbance and the concentration of the detergent solution. A higher detergent concentration
therefore results to a more efficient color removal action on stains.
The experiment can be further developed by incorporating temperature variance in the
color removal efficiency of different concentrations of a certain detergent which can be elected
using the first part of the experiment. This produces a 3D graph and the partial derivatives can be
utilize for measuring the efficiency of each aspect. Addition of more dyes belonging to different
color ranges will also help determine the efficiency of the detergent solution in removing colors
from different wavelengths.

References
-see post pre-labs