Surfactants laundry detergents

For an assessment of the sustainability profile, it is not enough to look at laundry detergent surfactants in isolation the whole life-cycle has to be taken into account.In order to arrive at soundly based conclusions, the total washing process must be analyzed. To enable the findings for different systems to be compared, all results must be related to a functional unit e.g. the cleaning of 1 kg of laundry. A systematic analysis of the total process is then carried out in the context of a so-called life-cycle assessment (LCA), in which all the system s inputs and outputs are systematically recorded and assessed. ... 

With the future emphasis on using less energy and less water, the laundry detergent surfactants will need to be different from what is used today. These products will have to be lower foaming, rinse easily in very little water, and clean just as weU. 

Uses Detergent raw material for laundry detergents surfactant for bath preps., textiles... 

Several cleaning formulations for specific uses contain unreacted polyamines. Examples include mixtures of ammonium alkylbenzenesulfonate, solvents, and PIP which give good cleaning and shine performance on mirrors and other hard surfaces without rinsing (305), and a hard-surface cleaner composed of a water-soluble vinyl acetate—vinyl alcohol copolymer, EDA, cyclohexanone [108-94-1] dimethyl sulfoxide [67-68-5] a surfactant, and water (306). TEPA, to which an average of 17 moles of ethylene oxide are added, improves the clay sod removal and sod antiredeposition properties of certain hquid laundry detergents (307). 

Yet another ingredient in laundry detergents is diethyl ester dimethyl ammonium chloride (DEEDMAC). It is a fabric softener. It is a cationic surfactant that is rapidly biodegradable. It works by reducing the friction between fibers, and between fibers and... 

The introduction of concentrated laundry detergent powders in Japan during 1986-1987 produced a substantial increase in the consumption of LAB in the subsequent 3-4 years as the market changed from low-density, spray-dried powders to the concentrated (compact) products. In these products, which may contain up to 40% surfactant, the cost/performance advantages of LAS are of significance. In addition, LAB sulfonic acid is well suited for the production of high-active, high-density (about 1.0 g/cm3) laundry powders by routes other... 

Two-dimensional TLC on silica gel G has been used to identify alcohol ether sulfates in liquid laundry detergents. The spots of the chromatograms were examined by UV, IR, and NMR spectroscopy and the spectra compared with those of standard surfactants [283]. 

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 widespread use of ABS, mainly in laundry detergents, and their subsequent discharge into the sewer, however, led to the unexpected effect of strong foam formation in sewage water, treated sewage and even in river water [5,6]. This observation was directly related to the physical properties of the surfactant that had originally been responsible for its great success. 

From the anionic surfactants (Table 1.1) the most relevant is LAS with an annual global production volume of more than 3 X 1061 in 2001. LAS has a wide application because of its excellent detersive properties and cost-performance ratio. Commercial LAS is applied mainly in the formulation of powder and liquid laundry detergents. The calcium salts are used as an emulsifier in pesticide formulations their amine salts are used in dry cleaning and as degreasing agents in the metal industry [14]. 

AG are next in importance in the list of non-petrochemically based surfactants, with an annual production rate of 50 000 t. They find application in laundry detergents and dishwashing agents where they exhibit very good foaming power and excellent degreasing capacity [22],... 

In response to the problems associated with the use of NPEO, measures were taken in a series of countries to reduce the application volume of these non-ionic surfactants. In 1986, Germany initiated voluntary restrictions and in Switzerland the use of NPEO in laundry detergents was completely banned. Throughout northern Europe, a voluntary application ban in household cleaning agents began in 1995. 

Some quality factors, especially secondary ones, depend directly on material or structural attributes of the product. These product quality factors are often arbitrary and can only be qualitatively evaluated by panels of consumers or experts. Convenience for use, product stability, and ability for human skin protection are all examples of these quality factors. Each arbitrary performance index has specific relationships with the material/structural attributes. In such cases, the desirable quality factor can be realized by directly changing the formulation without concerning any of the performance indices. An example can be that to make a laundry detergent product more convenient to use, the product form can be changed from powder to tablet. Another example is that to make a highly biodegradable product, surfactants with less branching should be used. 

Choose acids or alkalis to render the optimum pH for best performance of surfactants and enzymes (typically 6-8 for dishwashing liquids, 9.5-11 for laundry detergents, and 8-12 for allpurpose household cleaners). 

Example 3 Non-aqueous Structured Liquid Laundry Detergent with Suspended Surfactant Powder... 

Figure 7. Flowsheet for manufacturing non-aqueous structured laundry detergent with surfactant powder (Example 3).

While raising the pH gave some improvements in lather, more improvement was needed. Various co-surfactants, including alkyl sulfates, alkyl aryl sulfonates, and fatty acid taurides were effective in improving the speed of lather when present at levels of around 5%. Cost considerations led to choosing an alkyl aryl sulfonate, particularly sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate, as it was already widely used in the formulation of laundry detergents. 

Alkylphenol ethoxylate surfactants are widely used in laundry detergents. Chlorination of these compounds results in the formation of halogenated nonylphenolic DBFs, most of them brominated acidic compounds [126],... 

---