Polyethoxylated alkylphenols

LIOPHILIC PROPERTIES OF THE SURFACTANT-RICH PHASES OF POLYETHOXYLATED ALKYLPHENOLS OP-7 AND OP-10... 

In this study we examined the influence of concentration conditions, acidity of solutions, and electrolytes inclusions on the liophilic properties of the surfactant-rich phases of polyethoxylated alkylphenols OP-7 and OP-10 at the cloud point temperature. The liophilic properties of micellar phases formed under different conditions were determined by the estimation of effective hydration values and solvatation free energy of methylene and carboxyl groups at cloud-point extraction of aliphatic acids. It was demonstrated that micellar phases formed from the low concentrated aqueous solutions of the surfactant have more hydrophobic properties than the phases resulting from highly concentrated solutions. The influence of media acidity on the liophilic properties of the surfactant phases was also exposed. 

A similar correlation was reported for systems containing non-ionic surfactants of the polyethoxylated alkylphenol or alcohol type [25]. 

Both changes lead to an increase in the solubilisation capacity, while the overall formulation is still the same [41]. Consequently, surfactants with bulkier groups on both sides are likely to be more efficient. For instance, in a system containing equal volumes of water and oil and a polyethoxylated alkylphenols an optimum formulation is found at EON = 5.1 for the nonyl species, and at EON = 8.3 for the dodecyl one at ambient temperature (solubilisation of 8 and 21 mL of oil and water per gram of surfactant). The value of the optimum solubility parameter changes with the alcohol content, as will be discussed next, but the trend is the same for all alcohols. 

Ahel M, Molnar E, Ibric S, Giger W (2000) Estrogenic metabolites of alkylphenol polyethoxylates in secondary sewage effluents and rivers. Water Sci Technol 42 15-22... 

Ahel M, Giger W, Koch M (1994) Behaviour of alkylphenol polyethoxylate surfactants in the aquatic environment - I. Occurrence and transformation in sewage treatment. Water Res 28 1131-1142... 

Ahel M, Giger W (1993) Aqueous solubillity of alkylphenols and alkylphenol polyethoxylates. Chemosphere 26 1461-1470... 

Fig. 6 General structures of the most important surfactants and metabolites alkylphenol polyethoxylate (APE) alkylphenol (AP) alkyl ether (AE) alkylphenol ethoxy carboxylate (APEC) linear alkylbenzenesulfonates (LAS) alkyltrimethylammonium compounds (ATMAC) dialkyldimethylammonium compounds (DADMAC) alkyldimethylbenzylammonium compounds (ADMBAC) esterquat (EQ) diesterquats (DEQ). X is usually a chlorine or bromine atom. DDAC (didecyldimethylammonium chloride) and BDD12AC (benzyldimethyldode-cylammonium) are the two target analytes with a reported immunochemical technique developed for their analysis [153,154]...

Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEOs) are extensively used as surfactants in industrial products (see Chap. 1). NPEOs are a mixture of polyethoxylated mono-alkylphenols, predominantly para-substituted, and are used in the manufacturing of paints, detergents, inks, and pesticides [435, 446]. Surfactants are common water pollutants because of their use in aqueous solutions, which are discharged into the environment in the form of wastewater from treatment plants or sludge stored in landfills. Degradation products of alkylphenol polyethoxylates, i. e., nonylphenol (NP), have the potential to be bioaccumulated, thereby becoming toxic to aquatic [447] and soil microorganisms [435,448]. 

Ahel, M. and Giger, W. Aqueous solubility of alkylphenols and alkylphenol polyethoxylates, Chemosphere, 26(8) 1461-1470, 1993. 

Montgomery-Brown J., J.E. Drewes, R Fox, and M. Reinhard (2003). Behavior of alkylphenol polyethoxylate metabolites during soil aquifer treatment. Water Research 37 3672-3681. 

United States and Canada have water quality guidelines and European countries banned the use of alkylphenol polyethoxylates. To date, there is no standard available for regulating APs in the environmental media of South Korea. Most of the sites investigated throughout the South Korean peninsula are not expected to be sufficiently contaminated with APs or BPA to cause adverse effects. However, NP concentrations in some waters and sediments were over the guidelines of the USA and Canada. This means that aquatic organisms can be adversely affected by NP exposure in some aquatic systems. Therefore, actions should be taken to implement the regulations of NP to protect the aquatic ecosystems in South Korea. 

---