Detailed knowledge for detailersMiscellaneous detailing related content
Hydrophilic is the opposite of hydrophobic, which means that it is a property of a molecule that “attracts” water. No real attraction force is involved though. In general hydrophilic substances dissolve easily in water.
An emulsion is a mixture of water and oil. These 2 substances don’t mix without a third substance to bind them together. To create an emulsion you need an emulsifier. Soap is a good example of an emulsifier.
Surface tension is the energy a liquid contains that prevents its surface to be deformed by an object with a higher surface tension/energy. The surface energy of water has as a side effect that it can form beads on surfaces with a very low surface energy or high repulsive force.
Hydrophobic is the term used when a surface “pushes away water”. The word means as much as “fear/anxiety for water”. Although there is no actual fear or anxiety, it refers to the effect that looks as if it is pushing away the water. (there is no actual repulsive force involved)