Surfactants

Chemical substances known as surfactants reduce the surface tension between two liquids, between a gas and a liquid, or at the interface between a liquid and a solid. Surfactants can function as degreasers, emulsifiers, wetting agents, foaming agents, or dispersants. Surface-active agent is part of the phrase "surfactant." In the literal sense, substances that raise surface tension are "surface active," but they are not surfactants since their impact is the reverse of what is often meant by the word. Adding an inorganic salt to an aqueous solution of a weakly polar chemical will cause it to precipitate, which is a frequent example of surface tension rise. One reason why many surfactants are useless in sea water is because the material may be a surfactant in and of itself.