Book excerpt: Originally published in 1993, over 16,000 tradename surface-active agents for industrial applications, manufactured worldwide, are contained in this edition. General-use surfactants, such as emulsifiers, wetting agents, foaming agents, detergents, dispersants, and solubilizers are included, as well as detergent raw materials, defoamers, and antifoaming agents. The types and quantities of surfactants available commercially are numerous and the difficulty in making choices between products may become overwhelming. It is the purpose of this book to guide those who are involved in the selection of these materials through the procecss of identifying, classifying, and selecting the most appropriate products for their requirements. Therefore, this reference is organized so that the user can search for and locate products based on a variety of essential distinguishing attributes.