I have a mineral oil suspended in a water / surfactant solution in a glass container.
My objective is to use a surfactant that will "lift" the mineral oil off of the glass, or prevent it from sticking.
The mineral oil is a ferrofluid soution and I am interacting with it using magnets, so it can get "pressed" against the container and sticks.
The surfactant must not dissolve or break down the mineral oil at all.
The water / surfactant solution must be clear.
I would prefer something non-toxic, and easy to obtain.
I have tried anti-freeze(ethelyne-gylcol), and it worked somewhat, but not good enough.
I tried 50/50 isopropyle alcohol and distilled water. It worked a little, then disolved the oil.
I tried Dawn dish soap / distilled water , and it worked VERY well, but disolved the oil.
I tried fabric softener(Cationic surfactants) / distilled water , and it didnt work at all.
I tried a 100% solution of propelyne glycol, but it is too thick and I think worked more as a wetting agent than a surfactant(odd results).
I tried a 50/50 solution of propelyne glycol and distilled water, but the oil still sticks to the glass.
I have done some research on the different types of surfactants, but I can only get so far with my limited chemistry knowledge.
I would appreciate any suggestions, or at least pointing me in the right direction.
Do I need to focus on a particular type of surfactant? or combination?
I am not a chemist, so I apologize for any errors in my statements, feel free to correct me (doing the best I can with what I have).
Thanks