Petroleum-derived surfactants

Ethoxylates Many cosmetic ingredients are created with the help of these toxic petroleum-derived surfactants. Polyethylene glycols are among the most common, and each is identified on labels as PEG, followed by a number. There are literally hundreds of PEGs on your cosmetic labels. (BDIH Certified Natural Cosmetics aren t allowed to contain ethoxylated ingredients.)... 

The only cationic surfactant (Fig. 23) found in any quantity in the environment is ditallow dimethylammonium chloride (DTDMAC), which is mainly the quaternary ammonium salt distearyldimethylammonium chloride (DSDMAC). The organic chemistry and characterization of cationic surfactants has been reported and reviewed [330 - 332 ]. The different types of cationic surfactants are fatty acid amides [333], amidoamine [334], imidazoline [335], petroleum feed stock derived surfactants [336], nitrile-derived surfactants [337], aromatic and cyclic surfactants [338], non-nitrogen containing compounds [339], polymeric cationic surfactants [340], and amine oxides [341]. 

Petroleum-based surfactants are derived from three principal feedstocks, namely, ethylene, n-paraffins and benzene. Of these three feedstocks, the first has had widest use since it is the lowest in cost (1973). Benzene, on the other hand, generally has been higher in cost than the other two feedstocks and has tended to be used only when necessary. It is interesting to note that the relative cost differentials between the three feedstocks are changing rapidly euid, underlying eui increase in the absolute cost level of all petrochemical feedstocks, it is expected that the relative costs of benzene and ethylene will be reversed by the next decade. 

Antifoams additives are usually surface-active compounds weakly soluble in the foaming surfactant solution. They are derived from various natural fats and oils, petroleum derivatives, or silicone oils. Our goal is not to enter into the details of all the types of antifoam agent but to point out those most often used in various applications. Many review articles exist on this subject [41-43]. 

The use of chlorosulfonic acid (1.5-1.6 equivalents) converted petroleum-derived unsaturated alcohols (one equivalent) into alkyl sulfates (92% conversion) with good surfactant properties. ... 

Chemical surfactants are usually synthesized from petroleum derivatives and impose many environmental problems as well as can be toxic to human health. In contrast, naturally produced surfactants are ecofriendly and less toxic (Ashby etal., 2005 Mann and Bidwell, 2011). Biosurfactants are found... 

Several bio-based surfactants are being produced on an industrial scale today. Methyl ester sulfonates (MBS), derived from coconut or palm FAME (Figure 10.2), are bio-based replacements for petroleum-derived linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS) in cold-water laundry detergents found in commercial products such as Care Coldwash (Danlind,... 

As has been established in other chapters of this book, the reasons behind the search for bio-based alternatives to petroleum-based surfactants can be summarized in one word - sustainability. However, there are different ways to produce bio-based surfactants, all of which have different degrees of sustainability. As an example, soaps - alkaline salts of fatty acids - can be considered bio-based surfactants, as they are derived from the saponification of triglycerides obtained from plants and animals. Methyl ester sulfonates are obtained from fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) which in turn are also obtained from triglycerides found in plants and animal tissues. Lecithin, lysolectihins and other phospholipids can also be extracted from plant and animal tissue. As will be explained in the next sections, bio-based surfactants can also be secreted by microbial cultures fed with specific substrates. 

Prior to the availability of straight-chain, petroleum-based surfactants, the sole sources of raw materials for cationic surfactants were vegetable oils and animal fats. All those materials could be considered to be derivatives of fatty amines of one, two, or three alkyl chains bonded directly or indirectly to a cationic nitrogen group. The most important classes of these cationics are the simple amine salts, quaternary ammonium compounds, and amine oxides ... 

To overcome these difficulties, drilling fluids are treated with a variety of mud lubricants available from various suppHers. They are mostly general-purpose, low toxicity, nonfluorescent types that are blends of several anionic or nonionic surfactants and products such as glycols and glycerols, fatty acid esters, synthetic hydrocarbons, and vegetable oil derivatives. Extreme pressure lubricants containing sulfurized or sulfonated derivatives of natural fatty acid products or petroleum-base hydrocarbons can be quite toxic to marine life and are rarely used for environmental reasons. Diesel and mineral oils were once used as lubricants at levels of 3 to 10 vol % but this practice has been curtailed significantly for environmental reasons. 

Emulsions of fatty- and petroleum-based substances, both oils and waxes, of the o/w type are made by using blends of sorbitan fatty esters and their poly(oxyethylene) derivatives. Mixtures of poly(oxyethylene(20)) sorbitan monostearate (Polysorbate 60) and sorbitan monostearate are typical examples of blends used for lotions and creams. Both sorbitan fatty acid esters and their poly(oxyethylene) derivatives are particularly advantageous in cosmetic uses because of their very low skin irritant properties. Sorbitan fatty ester emulsifiers for w/o emulsions of mineral oil are used in hair preparations of both the lotion and cream type. Poly(oxyethylene(20)) sorbitan monolaurate is useflil in shampoo formulations (see Hairpreparations). Poly(oxyethylene) sorbitan surfactants are also used for solubilization of essential oils in the preparation of colognes and after-shave lotions. 

Considerable interest arose during the 1970 s and 1980 s in the use of micro-organisms to produce useful fatty adds and related compounds from hydrocarbons derived from the petroleum industry. During this period, a large number of patents were granted in Europe, USA and Japan protecting processes leading to the production of alkanols, alkyl oxides, ketones, alkanoic adds, alkane dioic acids and surfactants from hydrocarbons. Many of these processes involved the use of bacteria and yeasts associated with hydrocarbon catabolism. 

Surface-active compounds, especially the anionic surfactants, are derived from fossil raw materials as well as from recent raw materials. The portion of the biomass on the production of anionic surfactants is about 75% if the soap, the quantitatively most important anionic surfactant, is included. Considering only the synthetic surfactants, the syndets, the portion of fossil raw materials in the production of these surfactants, is about 75%. Without the lignosulfonates (and the petroleum sulfonates) this portion is about 90%. Due to strong efforts... 

LAB is derived exclusively from petroleum- or natural gas-based feedstocks. Thus, it is referred to as a petrochemical (or synthetic) surfactant intermediate. Feedstocks for LAB production are generally paraffins (carbon chain length in the range of C8-C14) derived from kerosene and benzene. Internal olefins derived from ethylene are sometimes used in place of paraffins. 

Self-generated surfactants (produced from fossil fuels by a chem-ical/physical process) or natural surfactants (exiting in fossil fuels) are derived from the inherent organic acids and replaceable acidic protons which are present in crude oils or bitumens (e.g., mercaptans). Yen and Farmanian (2) isolated native petroleum fractions that form surfactants and contain hydrogen dispiacable components including one, two, three, or four of die following types ... 

The possibility of producing certain value-added compounds such as surfactants, which can be derived from intermediates produced in petroleum biodesulfurization processes, has been evaluated. HPBS is a molecule with amphiphilic characteristics desirable for surfactant applications [243], Several oxidation reactions, from the 4S pathway are considered before reaching the final product. The compounds of the invention include acyloxybiphenylsulfinates, acyloxybiphenylsulfonates, alkyl sulfinatobiphenyl ethers, and alkyl sulfonatobiphenyl ethers. The invention also provides methods of producing these compounds. 

A two phase process, in which the feedstock (e.g., petroleum) was mixed with water and an organic solvent to improve denitrogenation of aromatic nitrogen compounds [102], led to an improvement of the process. Additionally, a surfactant was used to increase the interfacial area. Carbazole and quinoline and their alkyl derivatives were used as primary compounds for demonstration. The biocatalyst is used in resting stage and is continuously fed to the system to keep the reaction rate at an acceptable level. It was observed that quinoline was hardly removed under the conditions at which carbazole was decomposed and assimilated. 

Amines. Aliphatic amines make up a class of organic compounds derived from ammonia (NH3) where one, two, or three hydrogen atoms are replaced by alkyl groups. Amines are widely used as chemical intermediates and surfactants for fabric softeners, asphalt emulsifiers, petroleum additives, and ore-flotation agents. 

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