Up to now, there are four commonly used surfactants for the surface of stainless steel precision tubes, and their functions are roughly the same:

1. 6501 (dodecyl diethanolamine) and 6503 (dodecyl diethanolamine phosphoric acid acetate) and triethanolamine oleic acid soap. They are relatively new emulsifiers for 316L stainless steel precision tubes and have excellent removal effects on mineral oil. They have good water washability and are not prone to precipitation by calcium and magnesium ions in hard water, so a larger amount can be used.
2. TX-10 (polyoxyethylene octyl phenyl ether). It has good wetting and emulsifying properties, can withstand the oxidation of hot concentrated sulfuric acid, and can be used in combination with concentrated sulfuric acid for acid degreasing. It is diluted with hot water to a concentration of 30% (volume ratio) before use, and the commonly used amount is 3-5 mL/L. It is a non-ionic surfactant for 316L stainless steel precision tube surfaces.
3. OP-10 emulsifier. It has good wetting and emulsifying properties and has a good degreasing effect. However, its water washability is not good, and it requires enhanced cleaning after degreasing of 316L stainless steel precision tubes. Therefore, the concentration should not be too high, and the general usage is 3-5 g/L.
4. Sodium dodecyl sulfate. It has good wetting properties but has strong foaming effects. Therefore, the concentration should not be too high, generally ranging from 0.5 to 1 g/L. It is an anionic surfactant for 316L stainless steel precision tube surfaces and has good water washability.

In fact, the function of various surfactants is to accelerate the degreasing process.