Ethoxylated softeners

Eatty acid ethoxylates are used extensively in the textile industry as emulsifiers for processing oils, antistatic agents (qv), softeners, and fiber lubricants, and as detergents in scouring operations. They also find appHcation as emulsifiers in cosmetic preparations and pesticide formulations. Eatty acid ethoxylates are manufactured either by alkaH-catalyzed reaction of fatty acids with ethylene oxide or by acid-catalyzed esterification of fatty acids with preformed poly(ethylene glycol). Deodorization steps are commonly incorporated into the manufacturing process. 

Typical commercial ethoxylated sorbitan fatty acid esters are yellow Hquids, except tristearates and the 4- and 5-mol ethylene oxide adducts which are light tan soHds. These adducts, as well as the 20-mol adducts of the triesters, are insoluble but dispersible in water. The monoester 20-mol adducts are water soluble. Ethoxylated sorbitan esters are widely used as emulsifiers, antistatic agents, softeners, fiber lubricants, and solubilizers. In combination with the unethoxylated sorbitan esters or with mono- or diglycetides, these are often used as co-emulsrfiers. The ethoxylated sorbitan esters are produced by beating sorbitan esters with ethylene oxide at 130—170°C in the presence of alkaline catalysts. 

Mixtures containing sulfated castor oil were used to increase the lubricity of water base drilling fluids (123). Sulfated castor oil is also used in dishwashing compounds as a hand softener. A typical cleaning composition contains sodium dodecylben2ene sulfonate, sulfated castor oil, ethanol, and water. A sulfated derivative of castor oil is used as a dispersant for plaster of Paris, reducing the water needed to form a plastic slurry (124). Pesticide emulsions can be stabilized using ethoxylated castor oil (125). 

Figure 22.6. Influence of the ethoxyl content of ethyl cellulose on softening point moisture absorption and hardness. (Hercules Powder Co. literature)...

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]. 

The environmental compatibility of silicone softeners is generally favourable [495,496]. The discussion here concerns only the silicone component of the formulation and not the supporting emulsifying system. For the most part this is nonionic, preferably based on linear ethoxylated fatty alcohols, although alkylphenol ethoxylates are still used in some countries [496]. The salient points regarding the environmental influence of silicones can be summarised as follows ... 

Consider incorporating additives like monoalkyl quats, ethoxylated alcohols, ethoxylated amines, or solvents for ultras (concentrated fabric softeners), since they usually solve dispersibility problem stemmed from high concentration. 

Compositions and functions of typical commercial products in the 2-alkyl-l-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-imidazolines series are given in Table 29. 2-Alkyl-l-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-imidazolines are used in hydrocarbon and aqueous systems as antistatic agents, corrosion inhibitors, detergents, emulsifiers, softeners, and viscosity builders. They are prepared by heating the salt of a carboxylic acid with (2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine at 150—160°C to form a substituted amide 1 mol water is eliminated to form the substituted imidazoline with further heating at 180—200°C. Substituted imidazolines yield three series of cationic surfactants by ethoxylation to form more hydrophilic products quatemization with benzyl chloride, dimethyl sulfate, and other alkyl halides and oxidation with hydrogen peroxide to amine oxides. 

Formulations. In the typical fabric softening formula, the surfactant exists in a vesicular structure and the number of bilayers is a function of the concentration of the cationic surfactant in the solution [48]. The quality of dispersion influences the softening observed on the fabric. A poor dispersion leads to an uneven coating of softener on the fabric and insufficient deposition [46]. Cationic surfactants which do not readily form stable vesicular structures can be made stable by the inclusion of appropriate stabilizers which include ethoxylated... 

Water soluble ethoxylated size bath additive. Anstitatic softener/lubricant applicable from size baths. Improves both sizing and weaving. Being highly water soluble it is very easily removed from the fabric and is recommended in preference to other lubricants where there is a problem of removability of waxes. 

Leather softeners that are technically satisfactory can also be made from jojoba oil (5) and even butadiene rubber (6). Waste animal fat obtained from scraping the flesh from the fresh hide, before the leathermaking process is begun, can be used after sulfation or ethoxylation. 

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],... 

Mineral oils, paraffin and other waxes, polyethylene, polyethylene glycol, ethoxylated glycerides, ethoxylated fatty amines, and esters of fatty alcohols and acids have also been used in fabric softening [52], and also nonionic actives such as glycols, sorbitol, and urea, but in combination with a charged active. 

Fabric softeners may also contain antistatic agents (anionic or ethoxylated nonionic surfactants) and/or humectants to increase the moisture level at the fabric surface [52],... 

Nonionic surfactants such as ethoxylated fatty alcohols also impair softener deposition, presumably because they improve the solubility of the softener particles and compete to deposit onto fabrics [37,73,110],... 

Alkamuls . [Rhone-Poulenc Surf.] Ethoxylated, sorbitan, or glycol esters w/o emulsifier, dispersant, defoamer, coemulsifier, coupling agent, solubilizer, thickener, lubricant, opacifier, pearlescent, wetting agent, antistat in metalwsking and textile oils, pesticides, cosmetics as paper softener. 

Chemquat [Chemax] Ethoxylated qua-temary ammonium chlorides corrosion inhibitor, antistat, sensitizer for latex foam pix. vise. dq>ressant for softener formulations. 

DeSotan. [Witco/Organics] Srxbitanand ethoxylated sorbitan esters emulsifier, wetting agent, antistat, lubricant, softener. 

Emsorb . [Henkel/Emery/Cospha] Sorbitan esters or ethoxylates coupler, emulsifier, lubricant, softener, wetting agent, solubilizer for textiles, leather, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, household goods, paper, emulsion polymerization, metal processing. 

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