The Chemistry Behind Softeners: A Literature Review on Surfactants

Zhiliang Yin

doi:10.54254/2755-2721/2025.21403

Research Article

Open access

Published on 13 March 2025

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Yin,Z. (2025). The Chemistry Behind Softeners: A Literature Review on Surfactants. Applied and Computational Engineering,143,25-30.

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The Chemistry Behind Softeners: A Literature Review on Surfactants

Zhiliang Yin *^,1,

¹ Shanghai Starriver Bilingual School

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

https://doi.org/10.54254/2755-2721/2025.21403

Abstract

Fabric softeners play a pivotal role in maintaining clothing's comfort and softness. In modern formulations, cationic surfactants are commonly employed. However, both the manufacturing process and the final products of this industry have raised significant concerns leaving ample room for enhancement. The disposal of surfactants can cause damage to the environment and affect the health of organisms. Furthermore, the current fabric softeners also have side effects on the comfort of the apparel, such as causing skin irritation and making the clothes less thermally comfortable. This paper is dedicated to summarizing the mechanism of surfactants, analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of current products, and exploring the feasibility of using esterquats as an alternative. Through a concise literature review, this paper uncovers an area of uncertainty in the theories regarding how surfactants function. It also reveals the benefits of esterquats, such as biodegradability and flexibility, along with some lingering doubts. This paper concludes that there needs to be further research regarding the properties of esterquats to fill up the current literature gap as well as the potentialities of using other types of surfactants to substitute cationic surfactants in the production of fabric softeners.

Keywords

Fabric softeners, cationic surfactants, esterquats, biodegradability

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References

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Cite this article

Yin,Z. (2025). The Chemistry Behind Softeners: A Literature Review on Surfactants. Applied and Computational Engineering,143,25-30.

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About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Functional Materials and Civil Engineering

Conference website: https://2025.conffmce.org/

ISBN：978-1-80590-001-6(Print) / 978-1-80590-002-3(Online)

Conference date: 24 October 2025

Editor：Anil Fernando

Series: Applied and Computational Engineering

Volume number: Vol.143

ISSN：2755-2721(Print) / 2755-273X(Online)

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