Types and application scope of surfactants

2022-06-22 16:32:46

Types and application scope of green surfactants

1. alkyl polyglucosides (APG)

Alkyl polyglycoside (APG) is a new generation of environmental friendly green surfactant, which is made from natural or renewable resources. It is a new type of non-ionic surfactant. It has excellent foaming performance, low irritation to human body, easy biodegradation, low surface tension, good decontamination, rich and fine foam, strong compatibility, obvious synergistic effect with any type of surfactant, strong broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, and easy to dilute the product, No cloud point, no gel phenomenon, easy to use, and strong alkali and salt resistance. The raw materials used in the production of alkyl glycosides are oral glucose and fatty alcohol. Due to its non-toxic and non irritating properties, this product will be a substitute for traditional surfactants and has broad application prospects. It is widely used in pesticide intermediates, detergents, cosmetics, food, medicine, fire protection, textiles, printing and dyeing, petroleum and other industrial fields.

2. fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether sulfate (AES)

Fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether sulfate (AES) is prepared by the addition reaction of higher fatty alcohol and ethylene oxide to produce fatty acid polyoxyethylene ether, which is then sulfated. AES is a kind of important anionic surfactant, which has excellent water resistance, foaming and low temperature performance, rapid biodegradation, little skin irritation, good compatibility with enzymes, transparent and stable solution and easy to be adjusted by electrolytes to increase viscosity. Therefore, AES is widely used in liquid detergents, low phosphorus and non phosphorus detergents and personal protective articles, It is also the mainstream product of anionic green surfactants in China.

3. fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether carboxylate (AEC)

Aliphatic alcohol polyoxyethylene ether carboxylate (AEC) is a new type of green surfactant with excellent properties. Its most remarkable feature is its excellent chemical stability and safety. AEC has good biodegradability, mild to skin, little irritation to eye mucosa, little impact on enzyme activity, and is safe and non-toxic. In addition, its wettability is excellent, and its decontamination ability exceeds that of the corresponding alcohol ether compounds. The carcinogen dioxane is generated in the production process of AES. However, the production conditions of AEC are mild and no dioxane is generated. Therefore, AEC is considered as an upgraded product of AES.

4. fatty acid methyl ester sulfonate (MES)

MES has mild performance, and its irritation and toxicity to human body are lower than those of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates. Good washability. It can maintain good washing performance in cold water and hard water, especially in hard water. However, its color is dark, and it is easy to be hydrolyzed into disodium salt, a by-product with poor washing performance in the bleaching process. It has poor thermal stability in alkaline aqueous conditions and is difficult to be formulated.