Alcohol ethoxylates , laundry detergents

Ether carboxylates are used not only in powdered detergents but in liquid laundry detergents for their hard water stability, lime soap dispersibility, and electrolyte stability they improve the suspension stability and rheology of the electrolyte builder [130,131]. Formulations based particularly on lauryl ether carboxylate + 4.5 EO combined with fatty acid salt and other anionic surfactants are described [132], sometimes in combination with quaternary compounds as softeners [133,163]. Ether carboxylates show improved cleaning properties as suds-controlling agents in formulations with ethoxylated alkylphenol or fatty alcohol, alkyl phosphate esters or alkoxylate phosphate esters, and water-soluble builders [134]. 

Nonionic surfactants are also used in substantial amounts in laundry detergents and in automatic dishwashing detergents, both applications reflecting in particular their generally lower sudsing characteristics than the anionics. Commercially important examples uf the nonionics include the alkyl ethoxylates, the ethoxylated alkyl phenols, the fatly acid ethanol amides, and complex polymers of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, and alcohols. 

Cationic surfactants are not used as the primary surfactant in laundry detergents, as this responsibility falls on the commodity surfactants such as linear alkyl benzene sulfonates, ethoxylated alcohols and alkyl sulfates. Nevertheless, over the past 20 years there has been extensive art claiming the use of cationics to improve the performance of their anionic counterparts [67,69,70]. A combination of an alkyl phosphate (AP) and (note APE = alkyl... 

This section briefly describes the anionic and nonionic surfactants commonly used in commercial HDLD formulations. Cationic surfactants, although used on a large scale, are found predominantly in rinse-added fabric softener products. LAS, alcohol ethoxylates, and alkyl ether sulfates are three of the most widely used surfactants in liquid laundry detergents [44], Recently, various external considerations, such as environmental pressures, have prompted manufacturers to change their surfactant mix to include newer natural-based surfactants [45-47], including alkyl polyglucosides (Henkel) [48],... 

At the same time, surfactants like alkylbenzene sulfonates remain the most widely used basis for laundry detergents. Anionics remain the main products for making detergent compositions. Some of the application aspects of relatively new types of anionics (a-olefin sulfonates, sulfocarboxylic acids, alkyl phosphates etc.), whose commercial manufacture began in the 60-ties - 70-ties of the 20 century, are described by Stache [95]. The application of conventional types of nonionics like ethoxylated alcohols or alkyl phenols is presented in [13 -14], Alkyl polyglycosides were widely used in the last 5-8 years [96]. However, the main tendency in the development of new generation detergents is the use of surfactant mixtures in their optimum composition [97, 98]. 

Ciassification Linear alcohol ethoxylate Definition PEG ether of a mixt. of syn. C14-15 fatty alcohols with avg. 18 moles EO Properties Nonionic Uses Detergent, wetting agent in high performance laundry powds. 

Almost 2 billion pounds of various alcohol ethoxylates are consumed annually in the world today, which is more than any other class of nonionic surfactant. They are widely used in laundry detergents (second only to linear... 

Natural C12-C16 fatty alcohols or C10-C15 synthetic fatty alcohols with >4 moles ofEO. Alcohol ethoxylates with 5-11 moles of EO are used in liquid and powdered laundry detergents as coactives with LAS and fatty alcohol ethers sulfate (FAES) in hard surface-cleaning formulations and in a host of industrial applications. Alcohol ethoxylates with 12-50 moles of EO and their respective sulfated and phosphated derivatives find use in emulsion polymerization and other select applications. 

The second class includes polyethylene glycol alkyl esters, ethoxylated linear aliphatic alcohols, ethoxylated natural fatty acids and oils, and alkanolamides. These products, together with ethylene oxide block copolymers with propylene oxide, form a class of ethoxylate surfactants that are biodegradable. Linear alcohol ethoxylates find extensive use in heavy-duty laundry detergents. 

These products are particularly effective detergents for synthetic fabrics and fabric blends at cool washing temperatures. Sulfates of the linear alcohol ethoxylates are used in home laundry and dishwasher formulations. 

Laundry detergents are generally composed of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS) and alcohol ethoxylates (AE) plus enzymes, builders, and possibly a bleach. The major surfactants are well known for their particulate- and oil-re-moving properties, respectively, plus low cost and safety. 

Traditionally, powdered and liqnid laundry detergents contained linear alkyl benzene sulfonates, ether sulfates, and alcohol ethoxylates as surfactants, along with builders, enzymes, polymers, and possibly bleaches as additional active ingredients. These formulations dealt weU with different types of dirt and stains under a variety of water conditions. 

Chem. Descrip. Modified ethoxylated alcohol diester Uses Emulsifier, wetting agent, solubilizer, detergent, foaming agent, dispersant for kerosene emulsions, waterless hand cleaners, all-purpose cleaners, degreasers, solv.-based paint strippers, mild acid or alkaline cleaners, liq. laundry detergents emulsifier for kerosene and other soivs. 

Uses Surfactant for degreasing formulations for pre-treatment of metals, autonno-tlve parts, car washing shampoos, household laundry detergents, silver cleaners Trade Names Ethylan TD 4025 Unitol IT 60 Unitol IT 80 Unitol IT 120 Isotridecyl alcohol, ethoxylated, phosphated, compd. wKh N,N-dimethylcyclo-hexanamlne CAS 164383-18-0... 

The largest use of these compounds is in laundry detergents, where the EO chain length is usually in the range 7-9, although specialty products may contain 30 or more moles. The primary alcohol ethoxylates are the common item of commerce, but secondary alcohol ethoxylates are also available. 

Ethoxylated alcohols are ingredients of detergents, particularly low-temperature laundry aids, and cleaners, ancillary agents in textile industry, wetting agents, dispersants, and solubilisers of lipophilic materials. The main applications of ethoxylated nonionics correlate with the HLB and the mean ethylene oxide content as shown in the Table 1.1. 

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