A descriptive term applied to the group or radical of a surfactant molecule that makes or tends to make it soluble in water Associated with the hydrophilic portion of a surfactant molecule is the opposite hydrophobic (water-hating) portion
a chemical environment favoring the attraction of water or materials which are miscible in water Hydrophilic materials are characterized by strong dipole moments They are basically immiscible with organophilics
also hydroscopic, having an affinity for water Some polar compounds are simultaneously hydrophilic and oil soluble
having a strong affinity for water; tending to dissolve in, mix with, or be wetted by water
`water-loving', typically polar molecules or parts of molecules are hydrophilic as they are attracted to water molecules which are polar Compare hydrophobic