Detergent market

Detergents are metal salts of organic acids used primarily in crankcase lubricants. Alkylbenzenesulfonic acids, alkylphenols, sulfur- and methjiene-coupled alkyl phenols, carboxyUc acids, and alkylphosphonic acids are commonly used as their calcium, sodium, and magnesium salts. Calcium sulfonates, overbased with excess calcium hydroxide or calcium carbonate to neutralize acidic combustion and oxidation products, constitute 65% of the total detergent market. These are followed by calcium phenates at 31% (22). 

These detergent range (C C ) odd and even linear internal olefins are fed to oxo-alcohol plants to produce C22 C2 semilinear alcohols. Most of the alcohols are ethoxylated and sold into detergent markets (8). Shell balances carbon numbers by a combination of the ethylene oligomerization extent. 

In 1991, over 1 x 10 t sulfonic acids were produced in the United States (24). The materials, for the most part, were used as intermediates for the manufacture of sulfonates in the detergent market, dye manufacture, dispersing agents, catalysts, polymers, etc. Production of dodecjlbenzenesulfonic acids derivatives dominated the sulfonic acid market (Table 2). These had a 38% overall share. The differences between the production tons and the tons sold is accounted for by in-plant use by various manufacturers verses merchant market production. 

Okumura [49] in his report A Super Concentrated Heavy Duty Powder Detergent Containing Palm-MES, Production and Performance cites the annual production of MES to be approximately 70,000 tons. New formulations of MES have been successfully introduced in the heavy-duty detergent market, showing excellent detergency performance under normal Japanese washing condi-... 

Investigation of the pronounced resistance of ABS to microbial degradation demonstrated that the branched alkyl chain derived from tetrapropylene was responsible for the longevity of ABS in the aquatic environment [74], Shortly after this discovery, the surfactant industry reacted and made attempts—in some countries additionally forced by legal restrictions—to provide an alternative surfactant with comparable functional properties, but with inherent biodegradability. The outcome was the introduction of LAS on the detergent market. After the switch from ABS to LAS in almost all nations in the mid 1960s, a substantial drop in the levels of ABS was observed [8],... 

APEO have long represented a substantial part of the industrial detergent market. The first report demonstrating the environmental presence of APEO appeared in 1978. Nowadays, they are frequently reported as very common contaminants in surface water, wastewater, water plant effluents and sediments [24,25]. 

The application of enzymes, however, is not novel already in 1913, Otto Rohm, founder of what would become the chemical giant Rohm and Haas, had added a proteolytic enzyme, mainly trypsin, from milled animal pancreas and dog waste to detergents. Marketed in Germany in 1914 as Burnus , this innovation was way ahead of its time and ran into several problems First, the very crude proteolytic enzyme contained many impurities which sometimes stained the very textile it was supposed to clean. Second, one tablet could be added to 10 liters of water to remove stains from clothes. Unfortunately, consumers were used to bulky washing powders which lathered a lot, and they did not believe that such a small tablet could work. Third, the process of enzyme extraction was not economical enough to include it in routine household detergents. 

An important case is the application of enzymes in laundry detergents. Market trends in the United States show that consumers prefer liquids to powder detergents by a ratio of 2 to 1. These products are stored with no temperature control on shelves in the presence of harsh surfactants, such as linear alkylbenzyl sulfonate (LAS) and require extraordinary measures for stabilization. LAS, by its nature as an effective cleaning agent, causes surfactant-induced unfolding in proteins. There are countless examples of the development of stabilization systems in the intellectual property space. A common theme is to reduce the water activity and to use borate/glycol stabilizers that bind to the active site of proteases. 

Liquid automatic dishwasher detergents (LADDs) were first introduced to the U.S. and European markets in 1986. Prior to that, all dishwasher detergents were in powder form. LADDs have slowly gained popularity since their introduction. At the same time there has been an increase in the number of households with dishwashers, especially in the U.S. and Europe. By the early 2000s about half of U.S. households had dishwashers. LADDs account for about 40% of the dishwasher detergent market 40% is accounted for by the powder form and 20% by the new unit-dosed form. 

As the twentieth century drew to a close, liquid detergents in the U.S. achieved a milestone to which no other global laundry market comes close — they surpassed the sales of powder detergents. This trend has continued unabated for the past 5 to 10 years, and in 2004 liquids accounted for close to 70% of detergent market sales. 

Most of the emphasis in this section has focused on the expanding boundaries of patent art and technology, and ascertaining its impact on future (liquid) detergent compositions. The laundry detergent markets in the U.S., Europe, and Japan... 

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