A quartz crystal microbalance study of the removal of solid organic soils from a hard surface in aqueous surfactant solution

Abstract

A quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) has been employed to monitor the removal of two model solid organic soils, dotriacontane and tripalmitin, from the hard surface of the QCM crystal in aqueous surfactant solutions of octa- ethyleneglycol mono n-dodecyl ether (C12E8). We have investigated the effect of varying the thickness of the soil coating on soil removal and the effect of soaking the soil in high-purity water for an extended period of time before adding surfactant. The QCM results support the view that net soil removal is preceded by a stage of water and surfactant penetration into the soil. The rate of penetration and rate of removal depends on the soil type. Water and surfactant take ..