Indian Journal of Science and Technology

Abstract

Surfactants are used in cooling water systems to keep the precipitating chemicals in dispersed condition and thus to deter the scale formation. The choice of using cationic or anionic surfactant as dispersants depends on the chemical nature of the raw water. At the same time, estimation of surfactants at trace level has always been a challenge. In the present study, Cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), a cationic surfactant, is estimated at ppm level using high pressure ion chromatography in water medium. The CTAB is estimated here in raw water, domestic waste water and cooling water.
Keywords: Surfactants, dispersants, CTAB, high pressure ion chromatography.