Ethoxylated alcohol sulfates nonionic surfactants

Field Application. The micellar-polymer process for enhanced oil recovery has been used in many field trials. Petroleum sulfonates are the most commonly used surfactant 41, 42). Other surfactants have been used, such as ethoxylated alcohol sulfates 43) and nonionic surfactants mixed with petroleum sulfonates 44). 

Anionic surfactants are the most commonly used class of surfactant. Anionic surfactants include sulfates such as sodium alkylsulfate and the homologous ethoxylated versions and sulfonates, eg, sodium alkylglycerol ether sulfonate and sodium cocoyl isethionate. Nonionic surfactants are commonly used at low levels ( 1 2%) to reduce soap scum formation of the product, especially in hard water. These nonionic surfactants are usually ethoxylated fatty materials, such as H0CH2CH20(CH2CH20) R. These are commonly based on triglycerides or fatty alcohols. Amphoteric surfactants, such as cocamidopropyl betaine and cocoamphoacetate, are more recent surfactants in the bar soap area and are typically used at low levels (<2%) as secondary surfactants. These materials can have a dramatic impact on both the lathering and mildness of products (26). 

Ethylene oxide is an important intermediate chemical not only for the production of nonionic surfactants like fatty alcohol ethoxylates, alkylphenol ethoxy lates, or propylene oxide/ethylene oxide block copolymers, but also for manufacturing of anionic surfactants like alcohol ether sulfates. 

Ethoxylated methylcarboxylates Propoxyethoxy glyceryl sulfonate Alkylpropoxyethoxy sulfate as surfactant, xanthan, and a copolymer of acrylamide and sodium 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonate Carboxymethylated ethoxylated surfactants (CME) Polyethylene oxide (PEG) as a sacrificial adsorbate Polyethylene glycols, propoxylated/ethoxylated alkyl sulfates Mixtures of sulfonates and nonionic alcohols Combination of lignosulfonates and fatty amines Alkyl xylene sulfonates, polyethoxylated alkyl phenols, octaethylene glycol mono n-decyl ether, and tetradecyl trimethyl ammonium chloride Anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), cationic tetradecyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (TTAC), nonionic pentadecylethoxylated nonylphenol (NP-15), and nonionic octaethylene glycol N-dodecyl ether Dimethylalkylamine oxides as cosurfactants and viscosifiers (N-Dodecyl)trimethylammonium bromide Petrochemical sulfonate and propane sulfonate of an ethoxylated alcohol or phenol Petrochemical sulfonate and a-olefin sulfonate... 

SDS was an exception. Among the traditional surfactant work-horses, including anionics (such as alkylbenzene sulfonates and alkyl sulfates), nonionics (such as alcohol ethoxylates and alkylphenol ethoxylates), and cationics (such as alkyl quats and dialkyl quats), only alkyl sulfates are not chemically stable under normal conditions. 

The ultralow interfacial tension can be produced by using a combination of two surfactants, one predominantly water soluble (such as sodium dodecyl sulfate) and the other predominantly oil soluble (such as a medium-chain alcohol, e.g., pentanol or hexanol). In some cases, one surfactant may be sufficient to produce the microemulsion, e.g., Aerosol OT (dioctyl sulfosuccinate), which can produce a W/O microemulsions. Nonionic surfactants, such as alcohol ethoxylates, can also produce O/W microemulsions, within a narrow temperature range. As the temperature of the system increases, the interfacial tension decreases, reaching a very low value near the phase inversion temperature. At such temperatures, an O/W microemulsion may be produced. 

Linear primary alcohols and alpha olefins in the C6-C 8 range have enjoyed remarkable growth in the last three decades. As esters, the C6—C,0 alcohols are used for plasticizing PVC. In the C 2-C]g range, the alcohols are used to make readily biodegradable surfactants of various types such as ethoxylates (nonionic), alcohol sulfates, and sulfates of ethoxylates (anionic). Alpha olefins are used as polyethylene comonomer (33%) and as raw materials for detergent alcohols (22%), oxo alcohols (10%), and lubricants and lube oil additives (18%). 

Anionic alkyl ether sulfate surfactants are produced by sulfating nonionic alcohol polyalkyloxylates such as the ethoxylated surfactants discussed earlier. The sul-fated products generally contain variable amounts of unconverted alcohols and inorganic salts as reaction by-products. Determination of the ratio of anionic to nonionic components in surfactant mixtures is desired for quality control and performance evaluation. Separation of the ionic sulfate and nonionic alcohol components is achieved by reversed-phase chromatography. The separation of four alkyl ether sulfate surfactants is shown in Table 3. 

Anon. (1991) Environmental and Human Safety of Major Surfactants. Volume 1 Anionic Surfactants. Part 1. Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonates. Part 2. Alcohol Ethyl Sulfates. Part 3. Alkyl Sulfates. Part 4. Alpha Olgin Sulfonates. Volume 2 Nonionic Surfactants, Alcohol Ethoxylates and Alkylphenol Ethoxylates. Government Reports Announcements Index (GRA I). 

Both anionic and nonionic surfactants are used in the formulation of liquid detergents. Surfactants are primarily responsible for wetting the surfaces of fabrics as well as the soil (reducing surface and interfacial tension), helping to lift the stains off the fabric surface, and stabilizing dirt particles and/or emulsifying grease droplets [1-4], The main anionic surfactants are sodium alkylbenzene sulfonates, alkyl sulfates, and alkylethoxylated sulfates. The nonionic surfactants used to formulate heavy-duty liquids are primarily ethoxylated fatty alcohols. Other surfactants are also used in HDLDs and are discussed in a subsequent section. 

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],... 

Figure 6 8 Effect on initial droplet size of concentrations of (a) the anionic surfactants sodium dodecylben-zene sulfonate (DoBS), sulfated hexadecyl alcohol (C16-S) and sulfated hexadecyl/octadecyl alcohol ethoxylate (2 EO) (C16/C18-E02-S) and (b) the nonionic surfactants dode-cyl/tridecyl alcohol ethoxylate (15 EO) (C12/C13-E015), nonylphenol ethoxylate (20 EO) (NP-EO20) and linseed oil fatty acid monoethanolamide ethoxylate (13 EO) (LA 13). (From G. Ostberg et al.. Colloids Surf. A, 94, 161 (1995)...

The majority of surfactants used in coatings formulations are standard anionic and nonionic amphiphiles, such as fatty alcohol sulfates, alkylaryl sulfonates and alcohol ethoxylates. Cationic and amphoteric surfactants... 

Ethoxylated alcohols Ethoxylated fatty acids Lauryl sulfates Mono and diglycerides Nonionic surfactants Phosphate esters Quaternary surfactants Sorbitan derivatives... 

---