Surfactant sodium lauryl sulfate anybody use it? Am I way Off base ??

Hi all: I am not sure I am at the right site and I respect the folks that want to collect "Original Products" . But my goal is just to "Build" a great lamp for MYSELF. So I hope that asking for tips on how to build home made versions is not off limits please feel free to assist or berate me whichever side of the fence you are on .
My queston is about 'Surfactants", and if anybdy has any experience with "ANY" surfactant that wont cloud the "Water Based Solution"
I have ordered some "Sodium Lauryl Sulfate" which the only thing I know about it for sure is. " It is a SURFACTANT" and comes in a "powder form". and is "MAYBE" safe to put in your mouth if you want to . lol {They Put it in Tooth paste} IT MAY BE THE EXACT OPPOSITE of what I want as toothpaste is pretty foamy I have no clue what to expect from it . It is entirely possible I am coming at this from the wrong direction I dont know.!!
I am hoping to get a "Pure Surfactant" if there is such a thing. And if that is what I need !! ??
That wont attack wax . if there is such a thing ?? !!

So for for $9 for 100 grams I am ready to give it a try i suspect a half gram in a cup of water might be my first try I am thinking of dropping it a few drops at a time into a preheated globe almost full of saline soloution with no surfactant and a wax recipie, tuned so the floating teardrop mass never reaches more than 2 /3 of the way to the top of the globe after a 3 hr running time. I am hoping the addition of the few drops of "Pure Surfactant Solution??? IF THERE IS SUCH A THING" ????? will allow the wax to "Flow".
I suspect i am stuck where a great number of others have been stuck before. I can tune the mass to float "as a mass" and not reach the very top of the globe for a "given period of time" and then using soap as a surfactant to make the mass "flow" I can achieve whatever fluidity I want given that the more surfactant added the faster the saline clouds. Until with enough "Soap" the saline clouds immediatly... Tthere is so much I dont Know .... is there is a certain balance that ANY sufactant will cloud the saline soloution ?? or how about a glycerin & water soloution will the surfactant react the same way I actualy tried 1 smal blob of shaving cream in 8 oz of distilled water, even after 2 days there was still foam on top of the soloution with a turkey baster I added " 3 very un-scientific drops" of the clear soloution below the foam to a relatively well balanced. " 3hr mid globe floating mass of wax" the saline soloution clouded immediatly and the wax didnt flow much in comparrison to the clouding I am guessing again but I would think that shaving foam is at the very high end of the foaming capabilities of surfactants and it would seem logical that the dramatic adverse reaction would suggest a very gentle surfactant is required but then we have to ask are there surfactants that react differantly to petrochemical based products like paraffin wax
there is Soooo Much I need to KNOW I feel the questions i need answered are what surfactants wont break down petrochemical products but will decrease the surtace tension around the wax mass and what is the gentlest surfactant available

If I am at the wrong site please redirect me
Thank You all For Any Help

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Permalink Reply by Wally on January 28, 2008 at 11:49pm

Let us know how you make out with the Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. I'm looking for a good surfactant and probably others are as well.

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Permalink Reply by Novemberchild on February 1, 2008 at 7:06am

I just discovered the following site, maybe it helps in your quest:

http://www.scienceinthebox.com/en_UK/glossary/surfactants_en.html

Just today I started experimenting with fogging-fluid (the stuff used in smoke-machines) which contains a type of glycol (probably PPG or PEG).
The water looks better than ever before, but it's too early to tell how good (or if) it works.

Here's a question that just came to my mind: Has anybody ever tried to determine wether or not the clouding of saline solutions is really caused by the soap? Ain't it more likely that there's a reaction with the oil in the goo?