invert soap
- noun
- Specialized
:
jabón inverso
- Unlike regular soaps, invert soap has a positively charged active group.
Examples
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Cationic detergents, also known as invert soaps, are widely used as fabric softeners.
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Technicians analyzed the cleaning efficiency of several invert soaps in laboratory conditions.
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Many industries use invert soap for its unique properties.
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Can you explain how invert soaps work?
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Cationic detergents, also known as invert soaps, are widely used as fabric softeners.
-
Technicians analyzed the cleaning efficiency of several invert soaps in laboratory conditions.
-
Many industries use invert soap for its unique properties.
Synonyms
70
2.7
A liquid or powder that cleans clothes and surfaces
A manmade cleaner with positively charged particles used to kill germs or soften clothes
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound literally combines 'invert' (to reverse) with 'soap', so a learner can infer it refers to a soap that is 'reversed' or different from normal soaps; the basic idea of a reversed/altered soap is thus somewhat predictable. However, the precise chemical meaning (cationic vs anionic surface activity) is specialized and not derivable from everyday knowledge of the constituent words, so it is only partially transparent to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Invert soap gets its name from the idea of turning usual soap the other way round: invert means 'turn over' and soap is the cleaning part, so the active bit is 'positive' instead of the usual 'negative'. Because of this 'flipped' charge, these soaps stick to fabrics and make them soft, which explains why they are used as fabric softeners.